Alcohol intake and risk of thyroid cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.
BACKGROUND
Certain studies suggest that alcohol may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in women, but the effect in men remains unclear.


METHODS
We analysed the association between alcohol and thyroid cancer in a large (n=490 159) prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study with self-reported beer, wine, and liquor intakes.


RESULTS
Over 7.5 years of follow-up (median), 170 men and 200 women developed thyroid cancer. Overall, the thyroid cancer risk decreased with greater alcohol consumption (> or =2 drinks per day vs none, relative risk=0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.89, P-trend=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest a potential protective role for alcohol consumption in thyroid cancer.
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6120Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. meinholdc@mail.nih.gov
C L
CL
Meinhold
Y
Y
Park
R Z
RZ
Stolzenberg-Solomon
A R
AR
Hollenbeck
A
A
Schatzkin
A
A
Berrington de Gonzalez
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*