| Objectives: To determine the associations between dietary factors, especially salted meat, salted fat, pickled vegetables and preserved vegetables, and risk of esophageal cancer; To estimate the effects of lifestyle behaviors, including tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, hot beverages and eating speed, on the risk of esophageal cancer; To investigate the effect of family cancer history on the risk of esophageal cancer.;Study design and subjects: This is a population-based case-control study to investigate the risk factors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Yanting area, which is one of the highest ESCC risk areas in China. The cases were selected from Yanting local residents with new diagnosis of ESCC from 01/01/2008 to 31/05/2010, aged from 40 to 70 years old. The controls were selected from Yanting residents free of cancers, with 40-70 years old, and individually matched with cases by gender and age (+/-5years). Totally 254 pairs of cases and controls were interviewed, including 164-pair males and 90-pair females.;Data collection: Two trained interviewers administered the modified food frequency questionnaires to collect data, including dietary factors, lifestyle behaviors, and socio-demographic factors 5 years before diagnosis for cases and interview for controls.;Data analysis: The variables of fruits, total vegetables, smoking, alcohol drinking and family cancer history were always included in the conditional logistic model and the other variables were selected in by stepwise program. Finally, the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of fruits, total vegetables, preserved vegetables, rice, corn, peanuts, smoking, alcohol drinking and family cancer history were estimated.;Results: With the adjustments of other variables, intake of preserved vegetables positively related to ESCC risk that more than 3 times per week consumption related to a 4.68-fold ESCC risk (95%CI 1.88-11.67) and there was a significant exposure-response trend; intake of corn was also associated with ESCC risk positively and the trend between corn consumption and ESCC risk was significant too; total fruit consumption had an inverse relationship with ESCC risk significantly that more than 3-fruit intake per month related to a 0.27-fold ESCC risk (95%CI 0.09-0.62) and the exposure-response trend reached the significant level; total vegetable consumption also had an inverse association with ESCC risk and there was a significant trend between the intake and lower ESCC risk; rice consumption inversely related to ESCC risk too; higher intake of peanut had a significantly inverse relationship and trend of lower ESCC risk with high intake and the intake frequency of more than 3 times per week was associated with a 0.27-fold ESCC risk (95%CI 0.10-0.70).;Drinking both liquor and beer together related to ESCC risk increased to 4.14 (95%CI 1.09-15.73). The OR of positive EC history among first-degree relatives was 3.05 (95%CI 1.37-6.84).;Conclusions: The results indicated dietary intakes of preserved vegetables and corn were possibly linked to the risk of ESCC, but fruits, vegetables and rice appeared to be protective factors against ESCC. Drinking liquor and beer together and positive EC history among the first-degree relatives were positively associated with ESCC too. Intervention strategies to change diets and personal behaviors can be implemented to prevent ESCC. |
