Risk Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Research Articles

Association between cigarette smoking and nasopharyngeal cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a relatively rare yet aggressive malignancy, primarily affecting regions of East and Southeast Asia. This study aims at providing an up-to-date quantification of the association between cigarette smoking and NPC risk, overall and by histological subsites. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies on the association between cigarette smoking and NPC risk published up to May 2023. The methodology used is original and efficient and includes both a comprehensive umbrella review and a traditional review. We estimated pooled relative risks (RR) of NPC according to smoking status, intensity, duration, and time since quitting. Among 46 eligible articles, 40 original studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with never smokers, the pooled RR of NPC was 1.61 for current, 1.28 for former, and 1.62 for ever smokers. The RR for ever compared with never smokers was 2.37 for squamous cell NPC and 1.06 for undifferentiated NPC. NPC risk significantly increased linearly with smoking intensity and duration, and decreased linearly with increasing time since quitting. This meta-analysis confirms the link between tobacco smoking and NPC, highlighting the significant risk posed even by moderate cigarette consumption. Additionally, our findings underscore the differential risk between squamous cell and undifferentiated subtypes of NPC, shedding light on the distinct implications for NPC prevention strategies.

Nasopharyngeal cancer risk assessment by country or region worldwide from 1990 to 2019

BackgroundNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is 22nd most common cancer that occurs all over the world, but the prevalence rate can exhibit significant geographical differences. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database provides data related to the incidence, mortality, and disease burden of NPC worldwide from 1990 to 2019. We have designed this study in order to evaluate the potential effectiveness of health care policies and strategies for NPC prevention, diagnosis and treatment in different countries or regions around the world.MethodsWe used for the first time two distinct indicators, EAPC-ASIR and EACP-ASDR, to perform cluster analysis on 200 countries or regions around the world.Results200 countries or regions could be divided into five diverse groups. Group 1: The incidence rate showed an increasing trend whereas the mortality rate depicted a decreasing trend. Group 2: Morbidity as well as mortality showed a slight increase; Group 3: Morbidity as well as mortality increased significantly; Group 4: Morbidity and mortality decreased significantly; Group 5: Both morbidity as well as mortality decreased slightly. Moreover, in the context of a global decline in NPC incidence, mortality and disease burden, Group 3 countries, including: “Turkmenistan”, “Bosnia and Herzegovina”, “Dominican Republic”, “Bulgaria”, “Lesotho”, “Cabo Verde”, “Romania”, “Cuba”, “Jamaica”, “Azerbaijan”, “Uzbekistan”, “Chad”, “Belize” and “Ukraine” displayed a significant increase in morbidity, mortality, and disease burden, thus indicating a dangerous trend.ConclusionIt is suggested that the medical and health policies formulated by the countries in Group 3 for NPC, as well as their capacity for conducting censuses, preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases, need to be substantially strengthened.

Are e-cigarettes a safer alternative to reduce incidences of oral cancer?

The rapid increase in the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), such as e-cigarettes and vape pens, has raised concerns about their potential impact on oral health and the risk of oral cancer. Despite their popularity and claims of being a safer alternative to traditional smoking, there is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding the detrimental effects of vaping. ENDS were initially introduced as a safer option for smokers, attracting both traditional smokers and adolescents due to appealing flavours. These devices use a battery-powered heating element to aerosolise a liquid containing nicotine, flavourings, formaldehyde, glycerol, and heavy metals. However, the variability in product composition and design makes it challenging to establish reliable toxicity profiles. This commentary aims to provide an overview of the existing evidence to inform oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) practitioners about the potential risks associated with vaping on oral health and cancer. Data was extracted from ten recent studies, which included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, literature reviews, cross-sectional analyses, and in-vitro studies. While e-cigarettes have fewer carcinogens than traditional cigarettes, concerns remain about their potential for DNA damage. Reported oral symptoms related to e-cigarette use include dry mouth, irritation, pain, oral ulcers, nicotine-related conditions, and accidents resulting from device malfunctions. ENDS exposure has been linked to oral health issues like dysbiosis, inflammation, periodontal disease, and alterations in the oral microbiome. In-vitro studies have shown that e-cigarettes can induce DNA damage, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity in oral cells. Although direct causality between e-cigarettes and oral cancer remains unclear, there are case reports of oral cancer in heavy e-cigarette users without other traditional risk factors. Additionally, some ENDS components, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, are known human carcinogens, potentially posing a nasopharyngeal cancer risk. ENDS use may increase chemotherapy resistance and alter immune-related gene expression, potentially facilitating HPV-16 infection. Moreover, there is concern that ENDS use could lead to future tobacco smoking among adolescents. The variability in ENDS products further complicates assessing their oral health effects. Based on current evidence, ENDS should not be considered 'safe'. The authors recommend documenting ENDS consumption and emphasise the need for extensive research to better understand their effects on oral cavity tissues. Clinicians should remain vigilant and educate patients about the potential risks associated with vaping to make informed decisions about their oral health.

Early onset of nasopharyngeal cancer in Asian/Pacific Islander Americans revealed by age-specific analysis.

Incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer is substantially higher in Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs) than other racial groups. Examining age-specific incidence patterns by racial group and histology could inform disease etiology. We analyzed data from 2000 through 2019 from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to compare age-specific incidence rates of nasopharyngeal cancer in non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks, NH APIs, and Hispanics to NH Whites using incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). NH APIs showed the highest incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer across all histologic subtypes and almost all age groups. The racial differences were most pronounced in the age 30-39 group; relative to NH Whites, NH APIs were 15.24 (95% CI: 11.69-20.05), 17.26 (95% CI: 12.56-24.07), and 8.91 (95% CI: 6.79-11.48) times as likely to have differentiated non-keratinizing, undifferentiated non-keratinizing, and keratinizing squamous cell tumors, respectively. These findings suggest an earlier onset of nasopharyngeal cancer among NH APIs, which highlight unique early life exposure to critical nasopharyngeal cancer risk factors as well as genetic predisposition in this high-risk population.

Epstein-Barr Virus Infection as Significant Predisposing Factor and Post-Radiotherapy Prognostic Indicator among Libyan Patients with Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Background and Objectives: Libya is one of the North African countries which constitute an area of nasopharyngeal carcinoma endemicty, particularly at the north part of Libya as compared to its south portion. Although from the clinical as well as histopathological presentation, there is no uniquely specific pattern of appearance, but there is high deficiency in the data that confirm the possible predisposing factors which may play a role in the development of this common variety of head and neck cancer at this country, and whether these factors affecting the patients response to treatment. Therefore this study was conducted to elucidate the suggestion of the role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer at Libyan population; the results were correlated with the radiotherapy response and the improvement in the post-therapy prognostic value. Patients and Methods: Sixteen patients aged 9-80 years presented at ENT department -Althowra central teaching hospital-elbyda-Libya at period from September- 2005 up to January-2014 with variable patterns of clinical presentation suggestive nasopharyngeal carcinoma. All patients were evaluated radio- logically as well as endoscopically, the diagnosis was confirmed by the biopsy and further histo-pathological assessment. For all patients the serological elucidation for IgG and IgM anti-EBV antibodies was done, and the results were correlated with the age of the incidence, sex of the incidence, the pattern of clinical presentation, the pattern of histo-pathological presentation, the response to the radiotherapy, the rate of the recurrence, and five years survival. Results: 88% of the patients showed significant increase of serum IgG against Viral Capsid Antigen (VCA) of EBV. 83% of the cases presented with cervical masses and unilateral otitis media with effusion. 86% of cases showed lympho-epithelioma as histo-pathological pattern. On the other hand among all patients, those patients with lympho-epithelioma showed significant response to the concomitant radio- chemotherapy (100%) with high survival rate exceed five years. Conclusion: The EBV infection can be considered as one of main predisposing factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at Libyan population. As it was noted from this presenting study that the induction of the cancer by EBV is mainly due to chronic infection rather than acute infection and this was confirmed by significant elevation of serum IgG rather than IgM. In addition it was postulated that the EBV infection most likely to be associated with lympho-epithelioma variety of histo-pathology rather than well-differentiated type, and as it was elucidated via this study that the association of the cancer with EBV infection increased the sensitivity of the tumor to concomitant radio-chemotherpy, thus this will improve the five years survival after the treatment.

Survey on determinants of intention to reduce nasopharyngeal cancer risk: an application of the theory of planned behavior

BackgroundTo have better prognostic outcomes and minimize deaths due to nasopharyngeal cancer, it is vital to understand factors that motivate the public to undertake cancer preventive measures. The study investigated determinants of intention to adopt measures to reduce nasopharyngeal cancer risk using the Theory of Planned Behavior.MethodA cross-sectional survey was conducted on Malaysians (n = 515) using a questionnaire on attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, knowledge of nasopharyngeal cancer, past nasopharyngeal cancer preventive behavior, and intention to adopt preventive measures. The attitudes construct encompassed perceptions of susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers. Hierarchical regression of mediation effect under structural equation model approach was used to test the theory. The model was re-estimated using the two-stage least square approach by instrumental approach. Next the Maximum Likelihood Estimation-Structural Equation Modeling was conducted to gauge the instrumentation and check the robustness of the model’s simultaneity.ResultsThe respondents had moderate knowledge of nasopharyngeal cancer, and reported high levels of perceived risk, perceived severity and perceived behavioral control. The respondents were under little social pressure (subjective norm) to perform nasopharyngeal cancer preventive actions, marginally believed in the benefits of medical tests and reported few barriers. The Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling results show that the relationship between intention and four independent variables were significant (perceived behavioral control, perceived risk, perceived severity, marital status) at p < .05. Tests of Two-stage Least Square Approach and Maximum Likelihood Estimation-Structural Equation Modeling confirm the four key factors in determining the intention to reduce nasopharyngeal cancer risk. The variance explained by these factors is 33.01 and 32.73% using Two-stage Least Square Approach and Maximum Likelihood Estimation-Structural Equation Modeling respectively. Intention to undertake nasopharyngeal cancer risk-reducing behavior has no significant relationship with subjective norm, attitudes (perceived benefits and barriers to screening), knowledge of nasopharyngeal cancer and past behavior in enacting nasopharyngeal cancer preventive measures. The only demographic variable that affects intention is marital status. Gender, age, race, religion, education level, and income are not significantly associated with intention.ConclusionsIn contexts where knowledge of nasopharyngeal cancer is moderate, the factors associated with the intention to reduce risk are perceived risk and severity, perceived behavioral control, and marital status.

Dose-Response Reduction in Risk of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma From Smoking Cessation: A Multicenter Case-Control Study in Hong Kong, China.

BackgroundCigarette smoking is associated with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) risk. Whether quitting reduces the risk is unclear. We investigated the associations of NPC with duration of and age at quitting in an endemic region.MethodsWe investigated the associations between NPC and quitting in a multicenter case-control study in Hong Kong with 676 newly diagnosed NPC cases and 1,285 hospital controls between 2014 and 2017, using a computer-assisted self-administered questionnaire. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression yielded adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of NPC by quitting status, duration and age of quitting, combinations of duration and age of quitting, and quitting to smoking duration ratio, compared with current smoking.ResultsQuitting (AOR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.53–0.98) and never smoking (0.73, 0.56–0.95) were associated with lower NPC risk. NPC risk decreased with (i) longer quitting duration (p < 0.01), reaching significance after 11–20 (0.62, 0.39–0.99) and 21+ years (0.54, 0.31–0.92) of quitting; (ii) younger quitting age (p = 0.01), reaching significance for quitting at <25 years (0.49, 0.24–0.97); and (iii) higher quitting to smoking duration ratio (p < 0.01), reaching significance when the ratio reached 1 (0.60, 0.39–0.93). Quitting younger (age <25) appeared to confer larger reductions (49% for ≤10 years of quitting, 50% for 11+ years) in NPC risk than quitting at older ages (25+) regardless of quitting duration (16% for ≤10 years, 39% for 11+ years).ConclusionsWe have shown longer duration and younger age of quitting were associated with lower NPC risk, with dose-response relations. Our findings support including smoking as a cause of NPC. Stronger tobacco control measures and quitting services are needed to prevent NPC.

Nghiên cứu xác định đa hình đơn Nucleotide RS2596542 của gen mica ở bệnh nhân ung thư vòm họng

MICA is an antigen that is commonly expressed on cell surface of tumoRS. MICA had a low expression level in normal cells but increased in pathological/cancer cells. The goal of the study was to determine the association of SNP RS2596542 with the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). 144 biopsy samples diagnosed with NPC and 135 blood samples from healthy people were collected. Genotypes and alleles of RS2596542 MICA were determined by Realtime PCR genotyping. The genotype rate of MICA at RS2596542 in patients with NPC was 34.72% CC; 44.44% CT and 20.84% TT. The genotype of TT and T allele in the disease group was significantly higher than the control group (p=0.01*; OR=2.47; 95%CI: 1.22-4.97) and (p=0.01*; OR=1.51; 95%CI: 1.07-2.13). The T-allele at SNP RS2596542 of the MICA gene increases the risk of NPC and suggests that this could be used as a biomarker for NPC screening in Viet Nam. Keywords: MICA, RS2596542, nasopharyngeal cancer, NPC, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, SNPs, Realtime PCR

Risk of nasopharyngeal cancer in productive sectors and formaldehyde exposure in bakeries industry

Abstract Background The International Agency for Research on Cancer evaluated formaldehyde (F) as carcinogenic for human in association with Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC). Occupational exposure to F occurs in many industrial sectors also in those non-traditional. For example in Tuscany F was detected in a bakery where a NPC case had ever worked. Methods In this study a) A case control approach (OCCAM) was used for monitoring occupational risks based on current information sources. Three Italian Regional Operating Centres, collected NPC cases from cancer registries and/or hospital discharge records. Controls were randomly sampled from the regional health service population data. Occupational histories were available through record linkage with the social security pension database (INPS). Study results were reported by industrial sectors, area and gender. b) A specific study on F exposure was conducted in bakeries and pastry industry carrying out measurements to determine the concentration of F in specific tasks and positions. Results 717 cases linked with INPS database. Increased ORs for several industrial sectors such as iron and steel, wood and plastic were observed. In two regions also health and veterinary services and hairdressers were at increased risk, but based on few cases of exposed workers. In the non traditional sector of bakeries and pastry industries, where workplaces were monitored, high levels of F in personal air samplings were found, in particular in processes that involve a strong leavening. Conclusions Many productive sectors, in which F exposure could occurred, were observed to be at higher risk. The measurements performed in the non traditional sector monitored, confirmed the F exposure in some phases of the work process. With this study we contributed to increased knowledge on the risk of NPC within the monitoring system of occupational risks, and to deepen exposure to F in a non traditional productive sector such as bakeries and pastry industries. Key messages The epidemiological method used (OCCAM) in this study provides further information on the role of occupational exposure in the development of nasopharyngeal cancer. The measurements performed in the bakeries and pastry industries provide new additional information on the exposure to formaldehyde in some work process phases of a non-traditional productive sector.

The Association between Tea Consumption and Nasopharyngeal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

IntroductionHeated debates have been on-going about tea consumption and the incidence of cancer, especially in head and neck cancer types. This study aimed to review the association between tea consumption habits and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Methods:This review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA-P protocol. Literature search for journal articles that published studies on the relationship between tea consumption and NPC was performed via databases, such as Elsevier, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link, Google, and Google Scholar, for 10 years from 2008 to 2018. Relevant studies were obtained by applying the pre-determined keywords, such as nasopharyngeal cancer, tea consumption and NPC, risk factors of NPC and benefits of tea consumption. Results:A total of 126 articles was retrieved. These articles were subjected to eligibility assessment. Six articles remained after applying the inclusion criteria. Results suggest that habitual tea consumption reduces NPC. Tea consumption significantly reduces NPC with all the studies having a p-value ≤0.05. Meta-analysis showed statistical association between tea consumption and NPC risk with OR=0.865 at 95% CI (0.806-0.929). Conclusion:This study suggests that habitual tea consumption could be associated with prevention of NPC development. Additional studies are needed to further understand the molecular role of bioactive compound and potential health benefit of tea consumption in NPC prevention.

Methylation of Ecadherin gene is correlated with increased risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A meta-analysis

Background: The objective of this study was to estimate the correlation between the Ecadherin (CDH1) promoter methylation and the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.&#x0D; Methods: Based on previous online articles for the evaluation the hypermethylated status of CDH1 gene at the promoter region with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, two independent reviewers selected studies through databases on PubMed, Google Scholar from 2001 to 2014. The software MedCalc® version 18.11 was applied for calculating pooled odd ratios (OR) with levels of data heterogeneity by the fixed and random effects models.&#x0D; Results: Of a total of 99 articles, 12 studies with 508 clinical samples of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and 282 normal samples were selected in the systematic review for meta-analysis. Overall, the results demonstrated the highly significant association between CDH1 promoter methylation with nasopharyngeal carcinoma under the fixed effects model (OR = 16.155, 95% CI: 8.533 - 30.585, p

Wood dust exposure and risks of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

Wood dust has been confirmed as one kind of human carcinogen. However, there are inconsistent study results of exploring the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). For a greater clarification, the authors systemically reviewed the relevant published articles on the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of NPC. And meta-analysis was conducted. The databases of PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE), Embase and Science Direct were searched for the relevant publications. And Newcastle-Ottawa scale was employed for judging the quality of articles. Random-effect model was utilized for meta-analysis. Among a total of 583 retrieved items, 10 case-control studies and 1 cohort study were selected. The ratio of maximal/minimal exposure concentration of wood dust yielded a pooled odd ratio (OR) of 2.18 (95% CI = 1.62-2.93, P = 0.063) with a moderate heterogeneity (I2: 43.0%; P = 0.001). And subgroup analysis was performed for such factors as exposure status, exposure population and geographic region. No publishing bias was noted. Exposing to a high concentration of wood dust was positively proportional to occurring risk of NPC. It hints at the contributing effect of wood dust upon NPC. For eliminating the effects of other confounding factors, larger prospective cohort studies are required for further elucidating the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of NPC.

Association between coarse particulate matter (PM10-2.5) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma among Taiwanese men

The nasopharyngeal tract traps mainly coarse particles in inhaled air. Soluble carcinogenic compounds, endotoxins, and trace metals contained in these particles are potential causes of inflammation and oxidative stress which...

New insights into the mortality risk from nasopharyngeal cancer in the national cancer institute formaldehyde worker cohort study

BackgroundIndications were found that a diagnostic bias could have contributed to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) suggestion of a persistent increased mortality risk for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).MethodsNCI provided the cohort data updated through 2004. We computed local county rate-based standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for NPC and all other entities of the pharynx for two time periods. Moreover, SMRs were calculated for pharyngeal cancer in relation to study site by cumulative exposure to formaldehyde (FA).ResultsOverall, our results corroborate the indications of a diagnostic bias by strong but contrary temporal trends for NPC and pharynx, not specified. Moreover, it was shown that mortality risks were increased in the Wallingford cohort for all pharyngeal cancer combined and for pharyngeal cancer excluding NPC. In contrast, no increased risks for these categories were found in the nine other study sites combined.ConclusionsOur re-analysis provided little or no evidence to support NCI’s suggestion of a persistent association between FA exposure and mortality from NPC.

Association of common IL-10 promoter gene variants with the susceptibility to head and neck cancer in Tunisia

Background/aimWe investigated the association of three IL-10 promoter single-nucleotide polymorphisms and altered IL-10 plasma levels with the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC). Materials and methodsStudy subjects comprised 194 HNC patients [137 nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and 57 laryngeal cancer (LC)], and 263 healthy controls. Genotyping of rs1800896 (-1082A>G), rs1800871 (-819C>T), and rs1800872 (-592A>C) IL-10 variants was performed by real-time PCR; IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme amplified immuno sensitivity assay (EAISA). Results Carriage of rs1800896 A/A genotype was more frequent in the HNC and NPC cases, but was less frequent in the controls than the LC patients. Significant differences in IL-10 levels were observed between the rs1800896A/G genotype-carrying NPC patients and the controls. Positive association with NPC and LC was observed for rs1800871C/C, and carriage of rs1800872A/A genotype, and A allele were associated with higher risk of HNC and NPC, but not LC. GT rs1800896-rs1800871 haplotype was more frequent among the HNC and NPC patients than the controls in contrast to GC haplotype, which has a protective effect. Positive association was found between TA haplotype and LC. ConclusionOur results demonstrate that IL-10-1082, IL-10-819, and IL-10-592 variants, and haplotypes GC and GT constitute biomarkers for early detection of HNC, especially NPC subtype. IL-10 -819T/C and TA haplotype may be used as biomarkers for early detection of LC.

Association between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) 8473\xa0T\u2009>\u2009C polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

BackgroundNumerous studies have investigated the relationship between COX-2 8473 T > C polymorphism and cancer susceptibility, however, the results remain controversial. Therefore, we carried out the present meta-analysis to obtain a more accurate assessment of this potential association.MethodsIn this meta-analysis, 79 case-control studies were included with a total of 38,634 cases and 55,206 controls. We searched all relevant articles published in PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang Data, till September 29, 2017. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the association. We performed subgroup analysis according to ethnicity, source of controls, genotyping method and cancer type. Moreover, Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was implemented to decrease the risk of type I error and estimate whether the current evidence of the results was sufficient and conclusive.ResultsOverall, our results indicated that 8473 T > C polymorphism was not associated with cancer susceptibility. However, stratified analysis showed that the polymorphism was associated with a statistically significant decreased risk for nasopharyngeal cancer and bladder cancer, but an increased risk for esophageal cancer and skin cancer. Interestingly, TSA demonstrated that the evidence of the result was sufficient in this study.ConclusionNo significant association between COX-2 8473 T > C polymorphism and cancer risk was detected.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of SNPs from Genome-Wide Association Studies of Head and Neck Cancer.

Objective Various genome-wide association studies (GWASs) identified new head and neck cancer (HNC) susceptibility loci, although the evidence has not been systematically summarized. We performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of the GWASs to identify the most commonly reported genetic loci associated with a risk of HNC. Data Sources We searched the PubMed, ISI Web of Science, SCOPUS, and GWAS databases to retrieve eligible studies, in English or Italian, published until June 1, 2017. Review Methods Only GWASs reporting data on the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and HNC were included. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Q-Genie tool. Random-effect meta-analyses were performed considering only SNPs with at least 1 significant result from the included articles, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results Seven studies of case-control design were included in the review. Five studies on nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) in Chinese, reporting on 27 different SNPs, were included in meta-analyses. Results show that 6 SNPs ( rs2076483, rs2975042, rs9258122, rs29232, and rs9510787) had an increased pooled estimates for A risk alleles (OR [95% CI]: 1.55 [1.36-1.77], 1.90 [1.69-2.14], 1.47 [1.31-1.65], 1.52 [1.32-1.76], and 1.22 [1.13-1.31], respectively) while G risk allele of rs3129055 reported an OR of 1.49 (95% CI, 1.33-1.67). Conclusion Our systematic review identified 5 SNPs located on chromosome 6 ( rs2076483, rs2975042, rs3129055, rs9258122, and rs29232) and 1 ( rs9510787) on chromosome 13 as significantly associated with an increased risk of NPC in Chinese.

Association of IL-8 gene promoter -251 A/T and IL-18 gene promoter -137 G/C polymorphisms with head and neck cancer risk: a comprehensive meta-analysis.

PurposeNo consensus exists on the impact of polymorphisms in cytokines (such as interleukin IL-8 and IL-18) on cancer risk; moreover, there is very little evidence regarding head and neck cancer (HNC).MethodsThus, a meta-analysis including 22 studies with 4731 cases and 8736 controls was conducted to evaluate this association. The summary odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8, which encodes IL-8) and IL-18 polymorphisms and HNC risk were estimated.ResultsThe results showed a significantly increased risk of HNC susceptibility for IL18 −137 G/C in five genetic models, but, interestingly, no significant association was found for the CXCL8 −251 A/T polymorphism. When stratified by cancer type, an increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer was found for both −137 G/C and −251A/T. When the studies were stratified by ethnicity and genotyping method, there were significant associations between Asian populations and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) studies for −137 G/C, and African populations for −251 A/T in some genetic models. A positive association was also found between the population-based groups in some models for −137 G/C; conversely, significantly decreased risk was found among the −251 A/T hospital-based group. Meta-regression was also conducted. The publication year, control source, and cancer type contributed to CXCL8 −251 A/T heterogeneity; however, no factors were found that contributed to IL-18 −137 G/C heterogeneity. Marginal significance was found in the recessive model for IL-18 −137 G/C by Egger’s test, whereas no publication bias was detected for CXCL8 −251 A/T.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the IL-18 −137 G/C polymorphism is associated with HNC risk, especially nasopharyngeal cancer, in Asian populations and, when using PCR-RFLP, CXCL8 −251 A/T polymorphisms play a complex role in HNC development.

Association of E-cadherin methylation with risk of nasopharyngeal cancer: A meta-analysis.

Various studies have assessed the association between E-cadherin methylation and risk of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) but the conclusion remains unclear. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of E-cadherin methylation on the incidence and clinicopathological characteristics of NPC. Ten studies published up to June 30, 2016, were collected. Odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and summarized, respectively. The E-cadherin methylation in NPC was significantly higher than those in normal groups (OR 16.23; 95% CI 8.34-31.60; P < .001). Ethnicity-stratified analysis indicated that E-cadherin methylation was strongly correlated with NPC among both Asians (OR 16.98; 95% CI 8.45-34.14; P < .001) and North Africans (OR 10.67; 95% CI 1.21-93.72; P = .033). However, further analysis showed that E-cadherin methylation was not strongly associated with clinicopathological feathers in patients with NPC. The E-cadherin methylation is strongly associated with the incidence of NPC, which can serve as an effective biomarker for early detection of NPC.

Antidepressant medication use and nasopharyngeal cancer risk: a nationwide population-based study.

BackgroundThe association between antidepressant exposure and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) has not been previously explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between antidepressant prescription, including novel antidepressants, and the risk of NPC in a population-based study.Materials and methodsData for the analysis were derived from National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified 16,957 cases with a diagnosis of NPC and 83,231 matched controls by using a nested case–control design. A conditional logistic regression model was used, with adjustments for potentially confounding variables (eg, comorbid physical diseases, comorbid psychiatric diseases, and other medications).ResultsWe report no association between NPC incidence and antidepressant prescription. For all classes of antidepressants, antidepressant exposure, regardless of cumulative dose, had no significant effect on NPC incidence (adjusted odds ratio of cumulative selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor exposure ≥336 defined daily dose was 1.18 [95% CI: 0.90–1.53]; tricyclic antidepressant exposure ≥336 defined daily dose was 1.18 [95% CI: 0.80–1.74]).ConclusionThere was no association between antidepressant prescription and incident NPC.