A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE RISK-FACTORS FOR LUNG-CANCER IN GUANGDONG,CHINA

A case-control study involving 390 lung cancer cases, matched 1:1 with controls, was carried out in Guangdong Province to compare risk facto rs for different histopathologic types of lung cancer in both sexes. F emale and male lung cancers appear to differ in epidemiological charac teristics, pathologic types, and risk factors. The 291 lung cancer cas es in males were predominantly squamous cell lung carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma/adenocarcinoma = 1:0.5), whereas the 99 female lung can cer cases were predominantly adenocarcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma/a denocarcinoma = 1:2.7). The age at which lung cancer was first diagnos ed was lower for females than for males (P < 0.0001). Single-factor co nditional logistic regression analysis showed an association of lung c ancer with family history of tumors, family history of lung cancer, hi story of chronic bronchitis/emphysema, history of tuberculosis, histor y of other lung disease, smoking, exposure to environmental tobacco sm oke (ETS) in the home and in the workplace, being professional drivers , use of oral contraceptives, and consumption of pickled and salted fi sh (P < 0.05). Further multivariate logistic regression analysis showe d that family history of tuberculosis, history of chronic bronchitis/e mphysema, family history of tumors, smoking, exposure to ETS in the ho me and in the workplace, and consumption of pickled and salted fish we re independent risk factors for lung cancer. Using log-linear model an alysis, it was confirmed that lung cancer had significant interactions with chronic bronchitis/emphysema, exposure to ETS, history of tuberc ulosis and smoking. Smoking, however, could only explain 1/5 of the in cidence of female lung cancers. Family history of lung cancer and the use of oral contraceptives were related to lung cancer in women. Excep t for a weak relationship with history of chronic bronchitis/emphysema , adenocarcinoma was found to have no association with the other risk factors.