title: Alcohol and smoking as risk factors in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare alcohol and smoking as risk factors in the development of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. We considered only male subjects: (1) 630 patients with chronic pancreatitis who developed 12 pancreatic and 47 extrapancreatic cancers; (2) 69 patients with histologically well documented pancreatic cancer and no clinical history of chronic pancreatitis; and (3) 700 random controls taken from the Verona polling list and submitted to a complete medical check-up. Chronic pancreatitis subjects drink more than control subjects and more than subjects with pancreatic cancer without chronic pancreatitis (P<0.001). The percentage of smokers in the group with chronic pancreatitis is significantly higher than that in the control group [odds ratio (OR) 17.3; 95% CI 12.6-23.8; P<0.001] and in the group with pancreatic carcinomas but with no history of chronic pancreatitis (OR 5.3; 95% CI 3.0-9.4; P<0.001). In conclusion, our study shows that: (1) the risk of chronic pancreatitis correlates both with alcohol intake and with cigarette smoking with a trend indicating that the risk increases with increased alcohol intake and cigarette consumption; (2) alcohol and smoking are statistically independent risk factors for chronic pancreatitis; and (3) the risk of pancreatic cancer correlates positively with cigarette smoking but not with drinking.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological and Surgical Department, G.B. Rossi University Hospital, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Talamini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falconi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castagnini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Francesco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frulloni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bovo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vaona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vantini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pederzoli
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003043:Cocarcinogenesis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000209:etiology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*