Light alcohol drinking and cancer: a meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
There is convincing evidence that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer of the colorectum, breast, larynx, liver, esophagus, oral cavity and pharynx. Most of the data derive from studies that focused on the effect of moderate/high alcohol intakes, while little is known about light alcohol drinking (up to 1 drink/day).


METHODS
We evaluated the association between light drinking and cancer of the colorectum, breast, larynx, liver, esophagus, oral cavity and pharynx, through a meta-analytic approach. We searched epidemiological studies using PubMed, ISI Web of Science and EMBASE, published before December 2010.


RESULTS
We included 222 articles comprising ∼92 000 light drinkers and 60 000 non-drinkers with cancer. Light drinking was associated with the risk of oropharyngeal cancer [relative risk, RR = 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.29], esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (RR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.09-1.56) and female breast cancer (RR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.02-1.08). We estimated that ∼5000 deaths from oropharyngeal cancer, 24 000 from esophageal SCC and 5000 from breast cancer were attributable to light drinking in 2004 worldwide. No association was found for colorectum, liver and larynx tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Light drinking increases the risk of cancer of oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus and female breast.
Department of Statistics, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan. Electronic address: vincenzo.bagnardi@unimib.it.
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V
Bagnardi
Department of Clinical Medicine and Prevention, Centre of Biostatistics for Clinical Epidemiology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza.
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M
Rota
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan; Department of Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan.
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E
Botteri
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research 'Mario Negri', Milan, Italy.
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I
Tramacere
The Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA; Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
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F
Islami
Nutritional Epidemiology Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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V
Fedirko
Department of Statistics, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan.
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L
Scotti
Nutritional Epidemiology Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
M
M
Jenab
Department of Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan; Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research 'Mario Negri', Milan, Italy.
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F
Turati
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan.
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E
Pasquali
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research 'Mario Negri', Milan, Italy.
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C
Pelucchi
Department of Statistics, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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R
Bellocco
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research 'Mario Negri', Milan, Italy.
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E
Negri
Department of Statistics, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan.
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G
Corrao
Social and Epidemiological Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto; Dalla Lana School of Public Health Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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J
Rehm
The Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA; International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France.
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Boffetta
Department of Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan; Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research 'Mario Negri', Milan, Italy; International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France.
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La Vecchia
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors