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. 1998 Sep 26;317(7162):844-7.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.317.7162.844.

Population based cohort study of the association between alcohol intake and cancer of the upper digestive tract

M Grønbaek  1 , U Becker, D Johansen, H Tønnesen, G Jensen, T I Sørensen
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Population based cohort study of the association between alcohol intake and cancer of the upper digestive tract

M Grønbaek et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relation between different types of alcoholic drinks and upper digestive tract cancers (oropharyngeal and oesophageal).

Design: Population based study with baseline assessment of intake of beer, wine, and spirits, smoking habits, educational level, and 2-19 years' follow up on risk of upper digestive tract cancer.

Setting: Denmark.

Subjects: 15 117 men and 13 063 women aged 20 to 98 years.

Main outcome measure: Number and time of identification of incident upper digestive tract cancer during follow up.

Results: During a mean follow up of 13.5 years, 156 subjects developed upper digestive tract cancer. Compared with non-drinkers (drinkers of <1 drink/week), subjects who drank 7-21 beers or spirits a week but no wine were at a risk of 3.0 (95% confidence interval 1.5 to 6.1), whereas those who had the same total alcohol intake but with wine as >=30% of their intake had a risk of 0.5 (0.2 to 1.4). Drinkers of >21 beers and spirits but no wine had a relative risk of 5.2 (2.7 to 10.2) compared with non-drinkers, whereas those who drank the same amount, but included wine in their alcohol intake, had a relative risk of 1.7 (0.6 to 4. 4).

Conclusion: A moderate intake of wine probably does not increase the risk of upper digestive tract cancer, whereas a moderate intake of beer or spirits increases the risk considerably.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relative risk of upper digestive tract cancer for differing amounts of alcohol drunk. Vertical lines show 95% confidence limits after adjustment for age, sex, smoking habits and educational level (upper limit for >69 drinks a week is 27.9)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relative risk for upper digestive tract cancer, according to proportion of wine in total alcohol intake and according to total alcohol intake. Relative risk is set at 1.0 among non-drinkers after adjustment for age, sex, smoking habits, and educational level
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