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Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages and Risk of Lung Cancer: Results from Two Case–control Studies in Montreal, Canada

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the association between consumption of alcoholic beverages and lung cancer risk.

Methods

Data were collected in two population-based case–control studies, conducted in Montreal (Study I – mid-1980s and Study II – mid-1990s). Study I included 699 cases and 507 controls, all males; Study II included 1094 cases and 1468 controls, males and females. In each study group (Study I men, Study II men and Study II women) odds ratios (OR) were estimated for the associations between beer, wine or spirits consumption and lung cancer, while carefully adjusting for smoking and other covariates. The reference category included abstainers and occasional drinkers.

Results

For Study I men, lung cancer risk increased with the average number of beers/week consumed (for 1–6 beers/week: OR=1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9–1.7; for ≥7 beers/week: OR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.1–2.1). For Study II men, beer consumption appeared harmful only among subjects with low fruit and vegetable consumption. In Study II, wine consumers had low lung cancer risk, particularly those reporting 1–6 glasses/week (women: OR=0.3, 95% CI: 0.2–0.4; men: OR=0.6, 95% CI: 0.4–0.8).

Conclusions

Beer consumption increased lung cancer risk, particularly so among men who had relatively low fruit and vegetable consumption. Moderate wine drinkers had decreased lung cancer risk.

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Acknowledgements

The fieldwork was supervised by Lesley Richardson. This study was supported by research and personnel support grants from Health Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Institut de recherche en santé et sécurité au travail du Québec, the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, Montreal, Canada

    Andrea Benedetti & Marie-Elise Parent

  2. Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada

    Jack Siemiatycki

  3. CRCHUM – Santé des populations, St. Urbain, 3rd floor, 3875, H2W 1V1, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Andrea Benedetti

Authors
  1. Andrea Benedetti
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  2. Marie-Elise Parent
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  3. Jack Siemiatycki
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Benedetti.

Appendix

Appendix

In Study I, subjects were asked the usual frequency of consumption for ten different vegetable types:

  • carrots,

  • spinach,

  • broccoli,

  • corn,

  • lettuce, endive or watercress,

  • cabbage, cole slaw or sauerkraut,

  • green beans or peas,

  • Brussels sprouts,

  • tomatoes or tomato juice or food in tomato sauce,

  • green pepper,

  • and one fruit type:

  • apricot, peach, nectarine or prune.

In Study II, subjects reported their usual frequency of consumption for 13 vegetable categories:

  • tomatoes,

  • tomato sauce,

  • broccoli,

  • carrots,

  • mixed vegetables,

  • cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts,

  • lettuce or other leafy green vegetable,

  • spinach, watercress or other dark greens,

  • yellow squash, Swiss chard, or kale,

  • any other vegetable including green beans, corn or peas,

  • soups with vegetables,

  • sweet potatoes,

  • tomato or vegetable juice,

and for 12 fruit or fruit-juice types:

  • apples or pears,

  • orange, grapefruit or tangerine,

  • berries,

  • cantaloupe,

  • watermelon or other melon,

  • apricots, papaya or mango,

  • peaches, plums or nectarines,

  • dried apricots or peaches,

  • pumpkin,

  • other fruit,

  • orange, grapefruit or pineapple juice,

  • apple or other fruit juice or drink.

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Benedetti, A., Parent, ME. & Siemiatycki, J. Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages and Risk of Lung Cancer: Results from Two Case–control Studies in Montreal, Canada. Cancer Causes Control 17, 469–480 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-005-0496-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-005-0496-y

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