Oesophageal
cancer incidence and mortality among American blacks is over three times the rate for whites. Between 1950 and 1977 the age-adjusted oesophageal
cancer mortality rate approximately doubled in non-whites while remaining virtually unchanged in whites. Between World War II and the 1970s
menthol cigarette sales dramatically increased, roughly paralleling the increase in oesophageal
cancer among blacks. The present study uses existing data from a large hospital-based case-control study to test whether
menthol cigarette smoking is related to oesophageal
cancer. Oesophageal
cancer cases were current smokers. Controls were matched to the cases on age (+/- 5 years) and sex, had conditions thought not to be related to tobacco use, and were also current smokers. Tabular analyses showed no change in risk for males ever-smoking
menthol versus those never smoking
menthol cigarettes. For women, however, there was an increased risk. Results of logistic regression analyses performed to account for potential confounding factors showed a marginally significant (P = 0.08) decrease in risk among male short term (less than 10 years)
menthol smokers versus male never-
menthol smokers (OR = 0.50, 95% Cl: 0.23-1.07) but no increased risk for
menthol smoking of longer duration. Duration of
menthol smoking fitted as a continuous variable showed no increased risk (P = 0.9) after accounting for non-
menthol cigarette smoking duration (about 2% per year increase, P = 0.02). For females, the logistic analysis produced a marginally significant (P = 0.07) increased risk for longer
menthol use (OR = 2.30, 95% Cl: 0.93-5.72).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)