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Tobacco smoking, family history, and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case–referent study in Hong Kong Chinese

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the associations of tobacco smoking and family history of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with the risk of NPC in Hong Kong Chinese.

Methods

Between June 2010 and December 2012, we conducted a case–referent study with 352 incident cases and 410 referents in Hong Kong. We collected information on tobacco smoking and family history of NPC via face-to-face interviews.

Results

There were 174 (49.4 %) and 131 (32.0 %) ever-smokers among cases and referents, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for NPC related to current smoking was 1.67 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.06, 2.61]. Exposure–response relationships were observed between years and total pack-years of smoking, and NPC risk (p = 0.001 and p = 0.018, respectively). History of NPC in first-degree relatives was associated with an increased NPC risk (adjusted OR = 4.52, 95 % CI 2.39, 8.55). The increased NPC risk associated with sibling history (adjusted OR = 6.80, 95 % CI 2.63, 17.56) was higher than that for parental history (adjusted OR = 3.04, 95 % CI 1.27, 7.25). The adjusted OR for ever-smokers with family history using never-smokers without family history as the reference was 4.54 (95 % CI 1.67, 12.34).

Conclusions

This study verified the important roles of tobacco smoking and family history on NPC risk among Hong Kong Chinese. The provided evidence supported the knowledge that both environmental exposures and inherited susceptibility contributed to the risk of NPC.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the clinical and research staff in Department of Clinical Oncology and Department of Medicine of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, for their help and supports in the field work. This research was supported by Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society and Research Postgraduate Students’ Research/Conference Grant of The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4/F, School of Public Health Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Shao-Hua Xie, Ignatius Tak-sun Yu & Lap Ah Tse

  2. Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Joseph Siu Kie Au

  3. Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

    June Sze Man Lau

Authors
  1. Shao-Hua Xie
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  2. Ignatius Tak-sun Yu
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  3. Lap Ah Tse
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ignatius Tak-sun Yu.

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Xie, SH., Yu, I.Ts., Tse, L.A. et al. Tobacco smoking, family history, and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case–referent study in Hong Kong Chinese. Cancer Causes Control 26, 913–921 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-015-0572-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-015-0572-x

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