[Cohort study on the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer in the Korean elderly].
OBJECTIVE
We examined the association between alcohol consumption and incidence of colorectal cancer in elderly Koreans.


METHODS
The cohort members (n=14,304) consisted of 4,834 males and 9,470 females derived from the Korea Elderly Pharmacoepidemiologic Cohort (KEPEC), a population-based dynamic cohort. They were aged 65 years old or older and lived in Busan between 1993-1998; they were beneficiaries of the Korean Medical Insurance Corporation (KMIC). Baseline information was surveyed by a self-administered, mailed questionnaire. This study population was restricted to 14,304 participants who reported alcohol drinking habits on the questionnaire and had not been diagnosed with colorectal cancer at baseline. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) of status, type, frequency and daily average amount of alcohol consumption were computed with Cox's proportional hazard model, with the never-drinkers as a reference group and controlling for age and gender.


RESULTS
After 4.82 person-years of mean follow-up 112 cases of colorectal cancer occurred. The incidence densities of colorectal cancer were 161 (95% CI=123-200) for never-drinkers, 219 (95% CI=125-339) for ex-drinkers, and 137 (95% CI=84-189) for current-drinkers per 100,000 person-year. The status, type, frequency, and daily average amount of alcohol consumption were not significantly related to the incidence of colorectal cancer after controlling for age and gender.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer among elderly people after controlling for age and gender.
Lim
Hoi Jeong
HJ
Department of Orthodontics, Chonnam National University, Korea.
Park
Byung Joo
BJ
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires