Risk of esophagus cancer in diabetes mellitus: a population-based case-control study in Taiwan

• Published in: BMC gastroenterology 2012-12, Vol.12 (1), p.177-177, Article 177
• Main Authors: Cheng, Kao-Chi, Chen, Yu-Lung, Lai, Shih-Wei, Tsai, Pang-Yao, Sung, Fung-Chang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - adverse effects; Cancer; Case-Control Studies; Case-control study; Confidence Intervals; COX-2 inhibitors; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors - adverse effects; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diabetes therapy; Esophageal cancer; Esophageal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Esophagus cancer; Female; Gastroenterology; Gastroesophageal Reflux - epidemiology; Health aspects; Humans; Insulin; Insulin - adverse effects; Logistic Models; Male; Medical research; Metabolic disorders; Middle Aged; Mortality; Odds Ratio; Oncology, Experimental; Risk Factors; Studies; Sulfonylurea Compounds - adverse effects; Taiwan - epidemiology; Throat; Ulcer - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1471-230X; 1471-230X
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-230X-12-177

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with the cancer risk. This study investigated relationship between DM and esophageal cancer using Taiwan's insurance data. We identified 549 patients with esophageal cancer newly diagnosed in 2000-2009 and randomly selected 2196 controls without any cancer, frequency matched by sex, age and diagnosis year of cases. Logistic regression model estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of esophageal cancer associated with DM, sex, age. co-morbidities and medications. Cases were more prevalent than controls for alcoholism and esophageal disorders and using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors but not DM. Esophageal cancer had no association with DM (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.71-1.37), but significantly associated with alcoholism (OR 14.1, 95% CI 7.87-25.4), esophageal ulcer (OR 10.1, 95% CI 5.70-17.9), esophageal reflux (OR 3.47, 95% CI 2.14-5.26) and uses of NSAIDs (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.80-4.13). An elevated risk of esophageal cancer appeared in DM patients taking insulin (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.08-6.15) or sulfonyurea (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.16-12.5). Patients with DM are not at higher risk for esophagus cancer. However, esophageal disorders and anti-diabetic drugs are associated with the risk of the disease.