Alcohol Drinking Pattern and Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Abstract

Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for head and neck cancer (HNC), yet little data exist examining drinking patterns and HNC risk. In this population-based, retrospective cohort study, 11,737,467 subjects were recruited from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. The risks of overall HNC and HNC subtypes according to average alcohol consumption, drinking frequency, and daily amount were examined using Cox proportional hazard models. Over the median follow-up of 6.4 years, 15,832 HNC cases were identified. HNC risk linearly increased with drinking frequency (p-trend < 0.01; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45–1.67 in subjects who drank 7 days/week). HNC risk also increased according to daily amount of alcohol consumption (p-trend < 0.01), but plateaued from 5–7 units/occasion (aHR 1.25, 95% CI 1.19–1.31) to >14 units/occasion (aHR 1.26, 95% CI 1.13–1.40). When stratified by average alcohol consumption, drinking frequency, but not daily amount, showed a linear relationship with HNC risk in moderate and heavy drinkers. When comparing the HNC subtypes, similar tendencies were observed in cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, but not in the salivary gland. In conclusion, drinking frequency is a stronger risk factor for HNC, especially for cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, than the daily amount of alcohol consumption.

Clinico-Epidemiological Analysis of Most Prevalent Parotid Gland Carcinomas in Poland over a 20-Year Period

“…In the regional stadium, average survival is better for surgical treatment alone, but in the loco-regional stage, surgery with adjuvant RT has a better prognosis for the first 10 years ( Figure 4 ). The results are supported by other studies showing a lack of benefit of post-operative radiotherapy in early stages of salivary gland cancers [ 19 , 46 ].…”

“…AcCC is one with the most favourable prognosis. Positive results are confirmed in other studies, with 5- and 10-year survival rates ranging from 85 to 93% and from 79 to 88%, respectively [ 19 , 47 , 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

“…A diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in foods high in cholesterol may be effective in preventing salivary gland cancer [ 17 ]. The role of alcohol consumption and smoking in development of salivary gland cancer is still questionable [ 15 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Dealing with Macrophage Plasticity to Address Therapeutic Challenges in Head and Neck Cancers

“…Clinicians are therefore constantly looking for new prognostic biomarkers to better predict the aggressiveness of these cancers, but also for predictive biomarkers in order to select the patients that are most likely to respond to new therapies. HNSCC are mostly associated with alcohol and tobacco consumption but also with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and they are less reported to diet [ 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Comparison between three age-stratified cohorts reveals poor prognosis of young patients with tongue carcinoma

“…The most common causes of oral tongue carcinoma are thought to be tobacco and alcohol. The total amount and frequency of tobacco or alcohol consumption are related to an increased risk of oral tongue carcinoma (7)(8)(9). However, this cumulative risk is considered low in young patients, and other causes are considered instead (4).…”