Cocaine Use and Head and Neck Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium

Authors

Mingyan Zhang
Chu Chen
Guojun Li
Alzina Koric
Yuan-Chin Amy Lee
Hal Morgenstern
Stephen M Schwartz
Erich M Sturgis
Paolo Boffetta
Mia Hashibe
Zuo-Feng Zhang

Publication Date

2-1-2024

Journal

Cancer Medicine

DOI

10.1002/cam4.7019

PMID

38400665

PMCID

PMC10891447

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

2-24-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Humans, Risk Factors, Smoking, Head and Neck Neoplasms, Alcohol Drinking, Case-Control Studies, Cocaine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cocaine is an illegal recreational drug used worldwide, yet little is known about whether cocaine inhalation (smoking/snorting) increases the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC).

METHODS: The analyses were conducted by pooling data from three case-control studies with 1639 cases and 2506 controls from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium. Epidemiologic data, including cocaine use histories, were obtained in face-to-face interviews. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using hierarchical logistic regression models.

RESULTS: Controlling for cumulative tobacco and alcohol use, we observed a weak positive association between cocaine use and HNC (OR

CONCLUSION: In this pooled analysis, we observed a weak positive association between cocaine inhalation and HNC risk. Our findings provide preliminary evidence of the potential carcinogenic effect of cocaine on HNC. Because of study limitations, including limited number of cocaine users, confounding, and heterogeneity across studies, future investigations will require larger studies with more detailed information on cocaine use history.