Interaction between Tobacco and Alcohol Use and the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: Pooled Analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium

Background: The magnitude of risk conferred by the interaction between tobacco and alcohol use on the risk of head and neck cancers is not clear because studies have used various methods to quantify the excess head and neck cancer burden. Methods: We analyzed individual-level pooled data from 17 European and American case-control studies (11,221 cases and 16,168 controls) participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. We estimated the multiplicative interaction parameter (psi) and population attributable risks (PAR). Results: A greater than multiplicative joint effect between ever tobacco and alcohol use was observed for head and neck cancer risk (psi = 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-3.04). The PAR for tobacco or alcohol was 72% (95% confidence interval, 61-79%) for head and neck cancer, of which 4% was due to alcohol alone, 33% was due to tobacco alone, and 35% was due to tobacco and alcohol combined. The total PAR differed by subsite (64% for oral cavity cancer, 72% for pharyngeal cancer, 89% for laryngeal cancer), by sex (74% for men, 57% for women), by age (33% for cases < 45 years, 73% for cases > 60 years), and by region (84% in Europe, 51% in North America, 83% in Latin America). Conclusions: Our results confirm that the joint effect between tobacco and alcohol use is greater than multiplicative on head and neck cancer risk. However, a substantial proportion of head and neck cancers cannot be attributed to tobacco or alcohol use, particularly for oral cavity cancer and for head and neck cancer among women and among young-onset cases. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(2):541-50)Aviano and Italy Multicenter studies: Italian Association for Research on Cancer, Italian League Against Cancer, and Italian Ministry of ResearchMilan study: Italian Association for Research on CancerSwiss study: Swiss League against CancerSwiss Research against Cancer/Oncosuisse[KFS-700]Swiss Research against Cancer/Oncosuisse[OCS1633]Central Europe study: World Cancer Research FundEuropean Commission`s NCO-COPERNICUS Program[IC15-CT98-0332]New York study: NTH[POICA068384]New York study: NTH[K07CAI04231.]Seattle study: NTH[ROICA048896]Seattle study: NTH[ROI DE012609]Boston Study: NTH[R01CA078609]Iowa study: NTH[R01DE11979]Iowa study: NTH[R01DE13110]North Carolina Study: NTH[R01CA61188]North Carolina Study: NTH[1130ES010126]Tampa study: NTH[POICA068384]Tampa study: NTH[K07CA104231]Los Angeles study: NTH[P50CA90388]Los Angeles study: NTH[R01DAII386]Los Angeles study: NTH[RMCA7M4]Los Angeles study: NTH[T32CA09142]Los Angeles study: NTH[UOICA96134]Los Angeles study: NTH[R21ES011667]Houston study: NTH[R01ES11740]Houston study: NTH[R01CA100264]National Cancer Institute and National hisfitute of Dental and Cranicifacial Research intramural programs (NIH)IARC Multicenter study: Fondo cle Investigaciones Sanitarias of the Spanish Government - Instituto de Salud Carlos III[FIS 97/0024]IARC Multicenter study: Fondo cle Investigaciones Sanitarias of the Spanish Government - Instituto de Salud Carlos III[FIS 97/0662]IARC Multicenter study: Fondo cle Investigaciones Sanitarias of the Spanish Government - Instituto de Salud Carlos III[BAE 01/5013][R01CA100679