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Alcohol consumption and risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma: a multicentre case-control study.

Gorini G, Stagnaro E, Fontana V, Miligi L, Ramazzotti V, Amadori D, Rodella S, Tumino R, Crosignani P, Vindigni C, Fontana A, Vineis P, Seniori Costantini A

Istituto Toscano Tumori, Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Unit, Centre for Study and Prevention of Cancer, Florence.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have analysed the association between alcohol intake and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) or multiple myeloma (MM) risks. Materials and methods: A multicentre population-based case-control study of 363 HL, 270 MM cases, and 1771 controls offered the opportunity to evaluate the relationship between alcohol and HL/MM risks. Unconditional logistic regression was carried out to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), associated with alcohol intake (servings per week, grams per day of ethanol intake) or duration of exposure (year). RESULTS: For HL, considering nonsmokers only, ever drinkers had a significantly decreased risk than never drinkers (OR = 0.46). Significantly lower risks in all levels of total alcohol intake were also detected, considering servings per week (OR for one to four servings per week = 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.82; OR for five to nine servings per week = 0.39, 95% CI 0.21-0.73; OR for 10-19 servings per week = 0.26, 95% CI 0.12-0.54; OR for >/=20 servings per week = 0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.79) and grams per day of ethanol intake (OR for 0.1-9.0 g/day = 0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.74; OR for 9.1-17.9 g/day = 0.52, 95% CI 0.30-0.90; OR for 18.0-31.7 g/day = 0.27, 95% CI 0.13-0.57; OR for >31.7 g/day = 0.35, 95% CI 0.15-0.79). In the analysis for ever-smoking HL cases and controls, ever drinkers had the same risk as never drinkers. For MM, ever drinkers had a non-significantly decreased risk than non-drinkers (OR = 0.74), and ORs in almost all consumption levels were not significant (OR for 0.1-9.0 g/day = 0.93; OR for 9.1-17.9 g/day = 0.82; OR for 18.0-31.7 g/day = 0.47; 95% CI 0.28-0.81; OR for >31.7 g/day = 0.68). For HL and MM, the beverage type did not affect the risk significantly, and no consistent dose-response relationships were found, considering intensity or duration of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates a protective effect of alcohol consumption for nonsmoking HL cases.

Published 15 January 2007 in Ann Oncol, 18(1): 143-8.
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