TOBACCO SMOKING AND ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AS RISK-FACTORS FOR GLIOMA - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Objective - To investigate possible associations between tobacco smoki ng and alcohol consumption and the risk of adult glioma. Design - This was a population based, case-control study. Relative risks (ICR) were estimated using logistic regression analysis. Setting - Melbourne, Au stralia, Participants - These comprised 416 case subjects (166 women, 250 men), 66% of those eligible; and 422 control subjects (170 women, 252 men), 43.5% of those potentially eligible. Results - There was no increase in risk of glioma with having ever smoked tobacco (RR 1.29, 9 5% CI 0.95, 1.75) for all subjects, adjusted for age, a reference date , and gender. There was a slight increase in risk for men (RR 1.64, 95 % CI 1.1, 2.45), but not for women (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.62, 1.62), For m en, there was no increase in risk with increasing pack-years of cigare tte smoking, but the risk was significantly increased in subjects wile had smoked for less than 10 years. There was no increase in risk asso ciated with having ever drunk alcohol for all subjects (RR 0.96, 95% C I 0.67, 1.37), women (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.4, 1.15) or men (RR 1.40, 95% CI 0.81, 2.43). Conclusions - This study does not support an associati on between either tobacco alcohol consumption and pattern of risk asso ciated with tobacco smoking in men appears inconsistent with a causal role, and may be due to chance, response bias, or uncontrolled confoun ding.