Association between Dietary Behavior and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Yanting

Background: Yanting is one of high risk areas for esophageal cancer and the screening program was thereforeinitiated there. This study was aimed to investigate the dietary behaviors on the risk of esophageal squamouscell carcinoma (ESCC), among the individuals with normal and abnormal esophagus mucosa. Materials and
Methods: A frequency matched case-controls study was proposed to estimate the different distribution ofdietary behavior between individuals of control, esophagitis and cancer groups. Cancer cases were selected fromhospitals. Esophagitis cases and controls were selected from screening population for ESCC. Health workerscollected data for 1 year prior to interview, in terms of length of finishing a meal, temperature of eaten foodand interval between water boiling and drinking. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis tests and unconditional logisticregression model were used to estimate differences and associations between groups.
Results: Compared withcontrols, length of finishing a meal ≥15mins was related to a reduced OR for cancer (OR=0.46, 95%CI, 0.22-0.97) and even compared with cases of esophagitis, the OR of cancer was reduced to 0.30 (95%CI, 0.13-0.72).The OR for often eating food at a high temperature was 2.48 (95%CI 1.06, 5.82) for ESCC as compared withcontrols. Interval between water boiling and drinking of ≥10mins was associated with lower risk of cancer: theOR was 0.18 compared with controls and 0.49 with esophagitis cases (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Length of eatingfood ≥15mins and interval between water boiling and drinking ≥10mins are potentially related to reduced risk ofesophageal SCC, compared with individuals with normal and abnormal esophageal mucosa. Recommendationsto Yanting residents to change their dietary behaviors should be made in order to reduce cancer risk.