The metabolic syndrome and risk factors for biliary tract cancer: a case-control study in China.
OBJECTIVE
Recent data show that the metabolic syndrome may play a role in several cancers, but the etiology for biliary tract cancer is incompletely defined. The present aim was to evaluate risk factors for biliary tract cancer in China.


METHODS
A case-control study in which cases were biliary tract cancer patients referred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Controls were randomly selected from an existing database of healthy individuals at the Health Screening Center of PUMCH. Data on the metabolic syndrome, liver diseases, family history, and history of diabetes and hypertension were collected by retrospective review of the patients' records and health examination reports or by interview.


RESULTS
A total of 281 patients (102 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), 86 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) and 93 gallbladder carcinoma (GC)) and 835 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. HBsAg+/anti-HBc+ (P=0.002), history of diabetes (P=0.000), cholelithiasis (P=0.000), TC (P=0.003), and HDL (P=0.000) were significantly related to ICC. Cholelithiasis (P=0.000), Tri (P=0.001), LDL (P=0.000), diabetes (P=0.000), Apo A (P=0.000) and Apo B (P=0.012) were significantly associated with ECC. Diabetes (P=0.017), cholelithiasis (P=0.000) and Apo A (P=0.000) were strongly inversely correlated with GC.


CONCLUSIONS
Cholelithiasis, HBV infection and metabolic symptoms may be potential risk factors for the development of biliary tract cancer.
Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Qiao
Q
Wu
Xiao-Dong
XD
He
Lan
L
Yu
Wei
W
Liu
Lian-Yuan
LY
Tao
D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors