Abstract
BackgroundAlthough the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette.MethodsThe current paper reports results from: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls).ResultsIn the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63–0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40–0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54–0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81–1.18).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC.
Highlights
Head and neck cancer (HNC), including cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx, is one of the leading cancers worldwide
Original Study From September 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012, 252 head and neck cancer (HNC) cases (166 oral cancers, 61 oropharyngeal cancers, and 25 laryngeal cancers) and 236 controls were successfully recruited with a participation of 74.3% and 86.5% for the cases and controls, respectively
Having any allergy was associated with a reduced risk of HNC (OR = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.62) (Table 2)
Summary
Head and neck cancer (HNC), including cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx, is one of the leading cancers worldwide. The occurrence of most HNC can be attributed to the consumption of alcohol, cigarette, and betel quid [4,5], human papillomavirus infection plays a role, for oropharyngeal cancer [6]. The relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette
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