title: A meta-analysis on alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether an association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk exists is an open question. In order to provide a definite quantification of the association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk, we conducted a meta-analysis of available data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a PubMed search of articles published up to June 2010 and identified 44 case-control and 15 cohort studies, including a total of 34 557 gastric cancer cases. We derived meta-analytic estimates using random-effects models, taking into account correlation between estimates. We carried out a dose-risk analysis using nonlinear random-effects meta-regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with nondrinkers, the pooled relative risk (RR) was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.13] for alcohol drinkers and 1.20 (95% CI 1.01-1.44) for heavy alcohol drinkers (≥4 drinks per day). The pooled estimates were apparently higher for gastric noncardia (RR for heavy drinkers=1.17, 95% CI 0.78-1.75) than for gastric cardia (RR=0.99, 95% CI 0.67-1.47) adenocarcinoma. The dose-risk model estimated a RR of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91-0.99) for 10 g/day and 1.14 (95% CI 1.08-1.21) for 50 g/day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis provides definite evidence of a lack of association between moderate alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk. There was, however, a positive association with heavy alcohol drinking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tramacere
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan. Electronic address: claudio.pelucchi@marionegri.it.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelucchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bagnardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan; Department of Clinical Medicine and Prevention, Centre of Biostatistics for Clinical Epidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scotti
authors.affiliation: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France; Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Islami
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corrao
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan; Section of Medical Statistics, Department of Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
authors.affiliation: International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France; The Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*