Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Smoking, Alcohol, and Biliary Tract Cancer Risk: A Pooling Project of 26 Prospective Studies

Journal Article · · JNCI, Journal of the National Cancer Institute
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djz103· OSTI ID:1564293
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1] more »;  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1] « less
  1. See the Notes section for the full list of authors’ affiliations

Abstract Background

Tobacco and alcohol are well-established risk factors for numerous cancers, yet their relationship to biliary tract cancers remains unclear.

Methods

We pooled data from 26 prospective studies to evaluate associations of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with biliary tract cancer risk. Study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations with smoking and alcohol consumption were calculated. Random-effects meta-analysis produced summary estimates. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

Over a period of 38 369 156 person-years of follow-up, 1391 gallbladder, 758 intrahepatic bile duct, 1208 extrahepatic bile duct, and 623 ampulla of Vater cancer cases were identified. Ever, former, and current smoking were associated with increased extrahepatic bile duct and ampulla of Vater cancers risk (eg, current vs never smokers HR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.34 to 2.13 and 2.22, 95% CI = 1.69 to 2.92, respectively), with dose-response effects for smoking pack-years, duration, and intensity (all Ptrend < .01). Current smoking and smoking intensity were also associated with intrahepatic bile duct cancer (eg, >40 cigarettes per day vs never smokers HR = 2.15, 95 % CI = 1.15 to 4.00; Ptrend = .001). No convincing association was observed between smoking and gallbladder cancer. Alcohol consumption was only associated with intrahepatic bile duct cancer, with increased risk for individuals consuming five or more vs zero drinks per day (HR = 2.35, 95%CI = 1.46 to 3.78; Ptrend = .04). There was evidence of statistical heterogeneity among several cancer sites, particularly between gallbladder cancer and the other biliary tract cancers.

Conclusions

Smoking appears to increase the risk of developing all biliary tract cancers except gallbladder cancer. Alcohol may increase the risk of intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Findings highlight etiologic heterogeneity across the biliary tract.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
HS0000031
OSTI ID:
1564293
Journal Information:
JNCI, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Journal Name: JNCI, Journal of the National Cancer Institute; ISSN 0027-8874
Publisher:
Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (59)

Body Fat Distribution and 5-Year Risk of Death in Older Women journal January 1993
Menopausal Estrogen and Estrogen-Progestin Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk journal January 2000
Long-term Fatty Fish Consumption and Renal Cell Carcinoma Incidence in Women journal September 2006
Extrahepatic bile duct cancer and smoking, beverage consumption, past medical history, and oral-contraceptive use journal June 1987
The American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort: Rationale, study design, and baseline characteristics journal April 2002
Changing pattern of epidemiology in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Correspondence journal July 2014
Cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and the risk of gallbladder cancer death: A prospective cohort study in Japan journal January 2007
Biliary tract cancer incidence in the United States-Demographic and temporal variations by anatomic site: Biliary tract cancer incidence in the US by anatomic site journal April 2013
Risk factors for gallbladder cancer: A polish case-control study journal July 1992
Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: Sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012: Globocan 2012 journal October 2014
Cancer incidence and mortality attributable to alcohol consumption: Alcohol Attributable Cancers journal October 2015
Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis journal January 2002
Risk factors for extrahepatic bile duct cancers: Los Angeles County, California (USA) journal May 1994
Effect of dietary ethanol on gallbladder absorption and cholesterol gallstone formation in the prairie dog journal April 1991
Urinary aflatoxin biomarkers and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma journal April 1992
Immunomodulatory effects of cigarette smoke journal March 1998
Design of the prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial journal December 2000
Comparison of baseline characteristics and mortality experience of participants and nonparticipants in a randomized clinical trial journal December 2002
Implementation of the women's health initiative study design journal October 2003
Alcohol and cancer journal February 2006
A review of human carcinogens—Part E: tobacco, areca nut, alcohol, coal smoke, and salted fish journal November 2009
Risk Factors for Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma in the United States: A Population-Based Case-Control Study journal October 2007
Are common factors involved in the pathogenesis of primary liver cancers? A meta-analysis of risk factors for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma journal July 2012
Alcohol consumption and site-specific cancer risk: a comprehensive dose–response meta-analysis journal November 2014
Tobacco carcinogens, their biomarkers and tobacco-induced cancer journal December 2003
Tobacco, alcohol use and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: The Liver Cancer Pooling Project journal March 2018
Gallstones and the risk of biliary tract cancer: a population-based study in China journal November 2007
The antecedents of biliary cancer: a primary care case–control study in the United Kingdom journal November 2008
Increasing incidence and mortality of primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in the United States journal June 2001
Coffee, Caffeine, and Cardiovascular Disease in Men journal October 1990
European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC): study populations and data collection journal December 2002
Baseline Characteristics of Participants in the Women's Health Study journal January 2000
Design and Serendipity in Establishing a Large Cohort with Wide Dietary Intake Distributions journal December 2001
VITamins And Lifestyle Cohort Study: Study Design and Characteristics of Supplement Users journal January 2004
Cigarette Smoking and Cancer Risk: Modeling Total Exposure and Intensity journal June 2007
Invited Commentary: Consolidating Data Harmonization--How to Obtain Quality and Applicability? journal July 2011
Proportional hazards tests and diagnostics based on weighted residuals journal January 1994
Biliary excretion of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in the rat journal January 1992
Traditional reviews, meta-analyses and pooled analyses in epidemiology journal February 1999
Cohort Profile: The Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) journal August 2007
The JPHC Study: Design and Some Findings on the Typical Japanese Diet journal August 2014
A Prospective Study of Endogenous Estrogens and Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women journal February 1995
A Multiethnic Cohort in Hawaii and Los Angeles: Baseline Characteristics journal February 2000
Risk factors for extrahepatic biliary tract carcinoma in men: medical conditions and lifestyle: Results from a European multicentre case–control study journal January 2007
Alcohol consumption and risk of gallstone disease: a meta-analysis journal January 2017
The effect of smoking on the risk of gallbladder cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies journal January 2013
Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Rising Frequency, Improved Survival, and Determinants of Outcome After Resection journal January 2008
Combined effects of obesity and physical activity in predicting mortality among men journal November 2008
Risk Factors for Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Hospital-Based Case?Control Study journal May 2007
Singapore Chinese Health Study: Development, Validation, and Calibration of the Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire journal March 2001
The Sister Study Cohort: Baseline Methods and Participant Characteristics
  • Sandler, Dale P.; Hodgson, M. Elizabeth; Deming-Halverson, Sandra L.
  • Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 125, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1923
journal December 2017
The Agricultural Health Study. journal April 1996
Association between Alcohol Consumption and Cancers in the Chinese Population—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis journal April 2011
Risk factors for intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in the United States: A population-based study in SEER-Medicare journal October 2017
Smoking and risk of cholangiocarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis journal August 2017
Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Risks for Biliary Tract Cancer and Intrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer journal January 2019
Studies of the Mortality of A-Bomb Survivors: I. Plan of Study and Mortality in the Medical Subsample (Selection I), 1950-1958 journal March 1962
Joint Analysis of Site-Specific Cance Risks for the Atomic Bomb Survivors journal May 1993
Smoking, alcohol consumption, and the risk of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A meta-analysis journal January 2013

Similar Records

Radiation and Risk of Liver, Biliary Tract, and Pancreatic Cancers among Atomic Bomb Survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki: 1958–2009
Journal Article · Wed Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Radiation Research · OSTI ID:1613770

Pneumoperitoneum Caused by Transhepatic Air Leak After Metallic Biliary Stent Placement
Journal Article · Tue Nov 14 23:00:00 EST 2000 · Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology · OSTI ID:21083556

Intrahepatic versus extrahepatic cholestasis. Discrimination with biliary scintigraphy combined with ultrasound
Journal Article · Fri Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1986 · Gastroenterology; (United States) · OSTI ID:5636404

Related Subjects