title: Allergies and risk of head and neck cancer: an original study plus meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette.
  
  
  METHODS
  THE CURRENT PAPER REPORTS RESULTS FROM: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27-0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40-0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81-1.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Jenn-Ren
authors: JR
authors: Hsiao
authors: Chun-Yen
authors: CY
authors: Ou
authors: Hung-I
authors: HI
authors: Lo
authors: Cheng-Chih
authors: CC
authors: Huang
authors: Wei-Ting
authors: WT
authors: Lee
authors: Jehn-Shyun
authors: JS
authors: Huang
authors: Ken-Chung
authors: KC
authors: Chen
authors: Tung-Yiu
authors: TY
authors: Wong
authors: Sen-Tien
authors: ST
authors: Tsai
authors: Chia-Jui
authors: CJ
authors: Yen
authors: Yuan-Hua
authors: YH
authors: Wu
authors: Wei-Ting
authors: WT
authors: Hsueh
authors: Ming-Wei
authors: MW
authors: Yang
authors: Shang-Yin
authors: SY
authors: Wu
authors: Jang-Yang
authors: JY
authors: Chang
authors: Kwang-Yu
authors: KY
authors: Chang
authors: Chen-Lin
authors: CL
authors: Lin
authors: Fang-Ting
authors: FT
authors: Wang
authors: Yi-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Wang
authors: Ya-Ling
authors: YL
authors: Weng
authors: Han-Chien
authors: HC
authors: Yang
authors: Jeffrey S
authors: JS
authors: Chang
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D001114:Areca / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
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