Dose-response pattern for smoking, colorectal neoplasm

(HealthDay)—Colorectal neoplasm (CRN) is associated with smoking in a dose-response manner, but not with alcohol intake, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Yoon Suk Jung, M.D., Ph.D., from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues examined the risk of CRN according to the amount of smoking and alcohol intake. Data were included for 31,714 examinees aged ≥30 years undergoing their first colonoscopy as part of routine preventive health care. Never-smokers were compared with six groups of smokers, classified according to smoking amount; individuals with alcohol intake of ≤6.25 ethanol/day were compared with three groups of patients, classified according to alcohol intake.

The researchers found that the overall CRN risk increased with increasing amount of smoking in adjusted models (P for trend < 0.001). Comparing never-smokers with six smoker groups, the adjusted odds ratios for overall CRN were 1.02, 1.19, 1.35, 1.53, 1.63, and 2.03, for ≤2.50, 2.51 to 5.60, 5.61 to 9.00, 9.01 to 13.00, 13.01 to 19.50, and ≥19.51 pack-years, respectively. With an increasing amount of smoking, there was an increase in both non-advanced and advanced CRN (both P for trend < 0.001). The risk of CRN was not associated with alcohol consumption.

"Our study suggests that smoking amount as well as smoking status should be considered for CRN risk stratification," the authors write.

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