title: A meta-analysis on alcohol drinking and esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to provide a precise quantification of the association between alcohol drinking and esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma risk, we conducted a meta-analysis of available data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 20 case-control and 4 cohort studies, including a total of 5500 cases. We derived meta-analytic estimates using random-effects models, taking into account correlation between estimates, and we carried out a dose-risk analysis using nonlinear random-effects meta-regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative risk (RR) for drinkers versus nondrinkers was 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-1.09] overall, 0.87 (95% CI 0.74-1.01) for esophageal adenocarcinoma and 0.89 (95% CI 0.76-1.03) for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. Compared with nondrinkers, the pooled RRs were 0.86 for light (≤ 1 drink per day), 0.90 for moderate (1 to < 4 drinks per day), and 1.16 for heavy (≥ 4 drinks per day) alcohol drinking. The dose-risk model found a minimum at 25 g/day, and the curve was < 1 up to 70 g/day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis provides definite evidence of an absence of association between alcohol drinking and esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma risk, even at higher doses of consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tramacere
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelucchi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bagnardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Islami
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corrao
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002299:Cardia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology