3 november 2009

Alcohol intake and risk of thyroid cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

BACKGROUND: Certain studies suggest that alcohol may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in women, but the effect in men remains unclear.

METHODS: We analysed the association between alcohol and thyroid cancer in a large (n=490 159) prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study with self-reported beer, wine, and liquor intakes.

RESULTS: Over 7.5 years of follow-up (median), 170 men and 200 women developed thyroid cancer. Overall, the thyroid cancer risk decreased with greater alcohol consumption (> or =2 drinks per day vs none, relative risk=0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.89, P-trend=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a potential protective role for alcohol consumption in thyroid cancer.

Additional Info

  • Authors

    Meinhold C.L.; Park Y.; Stolzenberg-Solomon R.Z.; Hollenbeck A.R.; Schatzkin A.; Berrington de Gonzalez A.
  • Issue

    Br.J.Cancer / pages 1630-1634 / volume 101
  • Published Date

    3 november 2009