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. 2013 Aug;37(4):417-23.
doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2013.03.011. Epub 2013 Apr 22.

Childhood passive smoke exposure is associated with adult head and neck cancer

Jesse D Troy  1 , Jennifer R Grandis, Ada O Youk, Brenda Diergaarde, Marjorie Romkes, Joel L Weissfeld
Affiliations

Childhood passive smoke exposure is associated with adult head and neck cancer

Jesse D Troy et al. Cancer Epidemiol. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: Passive smoke is carcinogenic but its association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of childhood passive smoke exposure (CPSE) and HNSCC in 858 cases and 806 frequency-matched controls using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with logistic regression controlling for adult smoking in the total study population, and in never-smokers only (184 cases and 415 controls). CPSE was also studied in oropharyngeal separately from other HNSCC using polytomous logistic regression.

Results: CPSE was associated with HNSCC (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.01-1.63) after controlling for adult smoking and other factors. This association was similar in magnitude, although not statistically significant, among subjects who never smoked as adults (OR, 1.19, 95% CI, 0.80-1.76). CPSE was associated more strongly with oropharyngeal cancer (a HNSCC subtype commonly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection) than with HNSCC at non-oropharyngeal sites (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.01-4.06, N=52 cases vs. OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.68-1.60, N=132 cases; P-for-heterogeneity=0.08).

Conclusions: Data from this large US-based case control study suggest a role for CPSE in HNSCC etiology.

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