Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking and Risk of Stomach Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Vietnamese Men

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the impacts of waterpipe tobacco (WTP) and cigarette smoking on stomach cancer development in Vietnamese men.

METHODS: A total of 80 stomach cancer cases and 146 controls were recruited in a hospital-based case-control study.

Data on sociodemographic, anthropometric characteristics, tobacco smoking, and the dietary pattern was obtained based on a semi-quantitative food frequency and demographic lifestyle questionnaire; and venous anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies were tested by ELISA.

Unconditional logistic regression analysis with adjustments for potential confounding was performed to estimate the association between target exposures and stomach cancer.

RESULTS: Compared to the never tobacco smokers, the risk of stomach cancer significantly increased among tobacco smokers (OR 2.95, 95%CI 1.26-6.90, p=0.013).

Those who early started tobacco smoking before 26 years old had a high risk of SC (OR 3.04, 95%CI 1.29-7.20, p for trend=0.011).

For types of tobacco, It was increased risk in exclusively cigarette smokers (OR 2.85, 95%CI 1.19-6.85, p=0.019) and in WPT smokers (OR 3.09, 95%CI 1.24-7.68, p=0.015).

The daily frequency and longer duration of exclusively WPT or cigarette smoking tended to be significantly higher SC risk.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that tobacco smoking, particularly water pipe tobacco smoking, dramatically and independently increased the risk of stomach cancer.