Cancers Attributable to Alcohol Consumption in Nigeria: 2012-2014.

Michael Kolawole Odutola,Ramatu Hassan,Emmanuel A Oga,Theresa Otu,Eileen O Dareng,Elima E Jedy-Agba,Clement A Adebamowo,Emmanuel Ezeome,Festus Igbinoba,Sally N Adebamowo

doi:10.3389/fonc.2017.00183

Abstract

Alcohol consumption has been identified as a risk factor for many cancers but less attention has been paid to the fraction of those cancers that are attributable to alcohol consumption. In this study, we evaluated the incidence and population attributable fraction (PAF) of cancers associated with alcohol consumption in Nigeria. We obtained data on incidence of cancers from two population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) in Nigeria and identified cancer sites for which there is strong evidence of an association with alcohol consumption based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph 100E. We computed the PAF for each cancer site by age and sex, using prevalence and relative risk estimates from previous studies. Between 2012 and 2014 study period, the PBCRs reported 4,336 cancer cases of which 1,627 occurred in males, and 2,709 occurred in females. Of these, a total of 1,808 cancer cases, 339 in males and 1,469 in females, were associated with alcohol intake. The age standardized incidence rate (ASR) of alcohol associated cancers was 77.3 per 100,000. Only 4.3% (186/4,336) of all cancer cases or 10.3% (186/1,808) of alcohol associated cancers were attributable to alcohol consumption. Some 42.5% (79/186) of these cancers occurred in males while 57.5% (107/186) occurred in females. The ASR of cancers attributable to alcohol in this population was 7.2 per 100,000. The commonest cancers attributable to alcohol consumption were cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx in men and cancer of the breast in women. Our study shows that 4.3% of incident cancers in Nigeria can be prevented by avoiding alcohol consumption. While the incidence of cancers associated with alcohol intake is high, the proportion attributable to alcohol consumption is much lower suggesting that the number of cancers that may be prevented by eliminating alcohol intake in this population is relatively low.

Highlights

Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for morbidity, disability, and mortality worldwide [1]
We identified cancer sites for which there is strong evidence of an association with alcohol consumption based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monograph 100E [5]
1,808 (41.7%) were alcohol associated with an age standardized incidence rate (ASR) of 77.3 per 100,000

Summary

Introduction

Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for morbidity, disability, and mortality worldwide [1]. In 2012, an estimated 3.3 million deaths (5.9% of all global deaths) were attributable to alcohol consumption, mainly from cardiovascular diseases, injuries, gastrointestinal illnesses, and cancer [2]. According to the 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, 38.1% of the world’s population aged 15 years or older were estimated to be regular drinkers, with an average consumption of 38.6 g of pure alcohol per day (approximately 2.8 standard servings of alcoholic drinks) [2, 3]. According to the WHO, in 2014, Nigeria was the fourth leading African country in alcohol consumption after South Africa, Namibia, and Gabon [2]. The average national adult per capita consumption of alcohol between 2008 and 2010 in Nigeria was 10.1 l/year which is similar to that of the United States (9.8 l/year), but higher than that reported in China (6.7 l/year) [2]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion