Abstract | OBJECTIVES: To assess the joint effect of smoking and alcohol consumption on laryngeal risk on tumor subsites. METHODS: Population-based case-control study in South-West Germany with 257 histologically confirmed cases (236 males, 21 females), age 37 to 80 years, and 769 population controls (702 males, 67 females), 1:3 frequency matched by age and sex. RESULTS: Half of the tumors (50.6%) were glottic or subglottic, 17.5% were supraglottic. Due to advanced stage, the subsite of 31.9% of the tumors could not be determined clearly. There is a strong increase in risk with increasing tobacco consumption with an odds ratio (OR) of 59.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 21.3-167.3) for heavy smoking (>80 packyears (py)), all cases combined. In comparison to current smokers, cancer risk is reduced for ex-smoking (>2 years) OR=0.36, 95% CI 0.24-0.53. The risks were higher for supraglottic than for glottic and subglottic tumors. The effect of alcohol is not as strong. A significantly increased odds ratio of 2.0, 95% CI (1.0-3.9) results for 75-100 g ethanol/day only for glottic and subglottic tumors. The OR rises from 2.2, 95% CI (1.1-4.3) for 100-150 g ethanol/day to 4.3, 95% CI (1.4-13.2) for more than 150 g ethanol/day (all models adjusted for education). The joint effect of smoking and alcohol results appears sub-multiplicative but super-additive. Almost 90% of the tumors can be attributed to both factors. CONCLUSION: Contrary to earlier investigations we observed a sub-multiplicative effect of smoking and alcohol. The risk for persons with both high alcohol and tobacco consumption is extremely high which indicates the importance of intervention.
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Authors | H Ramroth, A Dietz, H Becher |
Journal | Methods of information in medicine
(Methods Inf Med)
Vol. 43
Issue 5
Pg. 499-504
( 2004)
ISSN: 0026-1270 [Print] Germany |
PMID | 15702209
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Topics |
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Alcohol Drinking
(adverse effects, epidemiology)
- Case-Control Studies
- Female
- Germany
(epidemiology)
- Humans
- Laryngeal Neoplasms
(epidemiology, etiology)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Risk Assessment
(statistics & numerical data)
- Smoking
(adverse effects, epidemiology)
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