Cannabis use and cancer of the head and neck: case-control study.

Aldington et al. ·Otolaryngology

No benefit demonstrated GRADE Moderate 63 citations

Samplen = 394 Pat.

ControlNon-cannabis users

EndpointRelative risk of head and…

Blindingn.a.

DesignFall-Kontroll-Studie

Routeinhalativ

Key finding

Cannabis use did not significantly increase the risk of head and neck carcinoma (RR=1,6; 95%-CI 0,5–5,2).

Summary

Case-control study (75 cases, 319 controls, ≤55 years): highest tertile of cannabis use (>8.3 joint-years) was not significantly associated with increased head and neck cancer risk (RR=1.6, 95% CI 0.5–5.2, not significant after confounder adjustment). No statistically significant association between cannabis use and head and neck carcinoma; limited statistical power does not rule out a small long-term effect.

PopulationAdults ≤55 years with head and neck carcinoma (cases) and controls from the voter registry; n=394 (75 cases, 319 controls)

InterventionCannabis use (smoked, quantified in joint-years)

ControlNon-cannabis users (controls from voter registry)

OutcomeHighest tertile of cannabis use (>8,3 joint-years) not significantly associated with increased cancer risk (RR=1,6; 95%-CI 0,5–5,2)

Confidence in the evidence

Moderate

The third of four GRADE levels, the effect estimate is probably reliable.

Quality profile

Sample size ★★★★★

Blinding —

Effect size No benefit

Citations / year ★★★★★

Authors

Aldington S, Harwood M, Cox B, Weatherall M, Beckert L, Hansell A, Pritchard A, Robinson G, Beasley R, Cannabis and Respiratory Disease Research Group.

DOI 10.1016/j.otohns.2007.12.002↗

Design: Fall-Kontroll-Studie

Abstract

<h4>Objective</h4>To investigate whether cannabis smoking increases the risk of head and neck cancer.<h4>Design</h4>Case-control study.<h4>Subjects and methods</h4>Cases of head and neck cancer < or =55 years identified from hospital databases and the Cancer Registry, and controls randomly selected from the electoral roll completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of head and neck cancer.<h4>Results</h4>There were 75 cases and 319 controls. An increased risk of cancer was found with increasing tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and decreased income but not increasing cannabis use. The highest tertile of cannabis use (>8.3 joint years) was associated with a nonsignificant increased risk of cancer (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval, 0.5-5.2) after adjustment for confounding variables.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Cannabis use did not increase the risk of head and neck cancer; however, because of the limited power and duration of use studied, a small or longer-term effect cannot be excluded.

The impediment to action advances action. — Marcus Aurelius