Adverse Effects of Preserved Vegetables on Squamous CellCarcinoma of Esophagus and Precancer Lesions in a HighRisk Area

Introduction: Squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers in China.Preserved vegetables are processed foods and consumed in high amounts in the high risk areas for ESCC. Thisstudy aimed to investigate the relationships of preserved vegetable consumption with ESCC and precancerlesions.
Methods: Cases from Yanting cancer hospital with pathological diagnosis of primary cancer, along withcontrols and individuals diagnosed with precancer lesions by endoscopy with iodine staining were interviewed.Trained staff collected data on dietary habits 1 year before the interview. An unconditional logistic regressionmodel was used to estimate odds ratios of preserved vegetable consumption for precancer lesions and cancer.
Results: Adjusting for potential confounders, intake of preserved vegetables (OR=2.92, 95%CI 1.32~6.47) andlonger intake period (OR=5.78, 95%CI 2.26~14.80) were associated with higher risk of ESCC. Compared withlowest intake frequency, the highest was associated with a 3.0-fold risk for precancer lesions and 3.59-fold riskfor ESCC (both p<0.05).
Conclusion: Consumption of preserved vegetables is a risk factor for esophageal lesionsin high risk areas. The carcinogenicity of preserved vegetables needs investigation in further studies and thepublic health strategies for reducing the consumption might be initiated in high risk areas