Interaction between tobacco and alcohol use and the risk of head and neck cancer: pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium.
BACKGROUND
The magnitude of risk conferred by the interaction between tobacco and alcohol use on the risk of head and neck cancers is not clear because studies have used various methods to quantify the excess head and neck cancer burden.


METHODS
We analyzed individual-level pooled data from 17 European and American case-control studies (11,221 cases and 16,168 controls) participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. We estimated the multiplicative interaction parameter (psi) and population attributable risks (PAR).


RESULTS
A greater than multiplicative joint effect between ever tobacco and alcohol use was observed for head and neck cancer risk (psi = 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-3.04). The PAR for tobacco or alcohol was 72% (95% confidence interval, 61-79%) for head and neck cancer, of which 4% was due to alcohol alone, 33% was due to tobacco alone, and 35% was due to tobacco and alcohol combined. The total PAR differed by subsite (64% for oral cavity cancer, 72% for pharyngeal cancer, 89% for laryngeal cancer), by sex (74% for men, 57% for women), by age (33% for cases <45 years, 73% for cases >60 years), and by region (84% in Europe, 51% in North America, 83% in Latin America).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm that the joint effect between tobacco and alcohol use is greater than multiplicative on head and neck cancer risk. However, a substantial proportion of head and neck cancers cannot be attributed to tobacco or alcohol use, particularly for oral cavity cancer and for head and neck cancer among women and among young-onset cases.
Hashibe
Mia
M
IARC, Lifestyle, Environment and Cancer Group, Genetics and Epidemiology Cluster, Lyon, France. hashibe@iarc.fr
Brennan
Paul
P
Chuang
Shu-Chun
SC
Boccia
Stefania
S
Castellsague
Xavier
X
Chen
Chu
C
Curado
Maria Paula
MP
Dal Maso
Luigino
L
Daudt
Alexander W
AW
Fabianova
Eleonora
E
Fernandez
Leticia
L
Wünsch-Filho
Victor
V
Franceschi
Silvia
S
Hayes
Richard B
RB
Herrero
Rolando
R
Kelsey
Karl
K
Koifman
Sergio
S
La Vecchia
Carlo
C
Lazarus
Philip
P
Levi
Fabio
F
Lence
Juan J
JJ
Mates
Dana
D
Matos
Elena
E
Menezes
Ana
A
McClean
Michael D
MD
Muscat
Joshua
J
Eluf-Neto
Jose
J
Olshan
Andrew F
AF
Purdue
Mark
M
Rudnai
Peter
P
Schwartz
Stephen M
SM
Smith
Elaine
E
Sturgis
Erich M
EM
Szeszenia-Dabrowska
Neonilia
N
Talamini
Renato
R
Wei
Qingyi
Q
Winn
Deborah M
DM
Shangina
Oxana
O
Pilarska
Agnieszka
A
Zhang
Zuo-Feng
ZF
Ferro
Gilles
G
Berthiller
Julien
J
Boffetta
Paolo
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology