title: Childhood passive smoke exposure is associated with adult head and neck cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Passive smoke is carcinogenic but its association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is uncertain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-control study of childhood passive smoke exposure (CPSE) and HNSCC in 858 cases and 806 frequency-matched controls using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with logistic regression controlling for adult smoking in the total study population, and in never-smokers only (184 cases and 415 controls). CPSE was also studied in oropharyngeal separately from other HNSCC using polytomous logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CPSE was associated with HNSCC (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.01-1.63) after controlling for adult smoking and other factors. This association was similar in magnitude, although not statistically significant, among subjects who never smoked as adults (OR, 1.19, 95% CI, 0.80-1.76). CPSE was associated more strongly with oropharyngeal cancer (a HNSCC subtype commonly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection) than with HNSCC at non-oropharyngeal sites (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.01-4.06, N=52 cases vs. OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.68-1.60, N=132 cases; P-for-heterogeneity=0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from this large US-based case control study suggest a role for CPSE in HNSCC etiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA. jesse.troy@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jesse D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Troy
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Grandis
authors.forename: Ada O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Youk
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diergaarde
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romkes
authors.forename: Joel L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Weissfeld
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution