Regular Article

British Journal of Cancer (2001) 85, 1667–1670. doi:10.1054/bjoc.2001.2147 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 27 November 2001

Risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus in women: a case–control study

L Sharp1, C E D Chilvers2, K K Cheng3, P A McKinney4, R F A Logan2, P Cook-Mozaffari5, A Ahmed6 and N E Day6

  1. 1Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen
  2. 2Division of Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Nottingham
  3. 3Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Birmingham
  4. 4Information and Statistics Division, NHS in Scotland
  5. 5Division of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Oxford
  6. 6Department of Community Medicine, University of Cambridge

Received 12 March 2001; Revised 5 September 2001; Accepted 10 September 2001.

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Abstract

Oesophageal cancer rates in women in the UK are more than 3 times higher than in most other European populations. A population-based matched case–control study of histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus in women was carried out in 4 regions in England and Scotland. Interviews were carried out in hospital or at home and topics included: smoking; alcohol; tea and coffee consumption; medical and obstetric history; and diet. Response rates were 62% for cases and 65% for first-chosen controls. There were 159 case–control pairs. Significant results were found for: eating salads (odds ratio (OR) 0.42, 95% CI 0.20–0.92 in the highest quartile of consumption) and a light (as distinct from no) breakfast (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.07 – 0.48) were protective; quantity of tea was a risk factor and there was a significant positive trend with temperature at which hot drinks were consumed (P = 0.03). Alcohol consumption was unrelated to risk, but there was a significant trend with years of smoking (P = 0.015). A protective effect of aspirin consumption was confined to the English centres (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01–0.56). Comparison with a parallel study of adenocarcinoma indicated a common protective effect of a healthy diet but otherwise distinct risk factors. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com

Keywords:

oesophagus, cancer, case–control, aetiology

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