title: Informing etiologic research priorities for squamous cell esophageal cancer in Africa: A review of setting-specific exposures to known and putative risk factors.
abstract: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers in most Eastern and Southern African countries, but its etiology has been understudied to date. To inform its research agenda, we undertook a review to identify, of the ESCC risk factors which have been established or strongly suggested worldwide, those with a high prevalence or high exposure levels in any ESCC-affected African setting and the sources thereof. We found that for almost all ESCC risk factors known to date, including tobacco, alcohol, hot beverage consumption, nitrosamines and both inhaled and ingested PAHs, there is evidence of population groups with raised exposures, the sources of which vary greatly between cultures across the ESCC corridor. Research encompassing these risk factors is warranted and is likely to identify primary prevention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menya
authors.affiliation: Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Munishi
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.|Malawi Cancer Registry, Malawi.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dzamalala
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, University of Gezira, Sudan.|Faculty of Science, University of Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gasmelseed
authors.affiliation: Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leon Roux
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Center, Addis-Ababa-University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assefa
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Studies, University of Eldoret, Kenya.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Osano
authors.affiliation: Inorganic Chemistry, Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.affiliation: Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania.|Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Mwasamwaja
authors.affiliation: Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania.|Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Mmbaga
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Abnet
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dawsey
authors.affiliation: Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schüz
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Africa; esophageal cancer; risk factors