Are alcohol intake and smoking associated with mycosis fungoides? A European multicentre case-control study.

The incidence of mycosis fungoides (MF) is low, and the aetiology of the di sease is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether wine con sumption protects against the disease and whether smoking constitutes a ris k factor. This paper is part of the European Rare Cancers Study that tries to determine the risk factors for seven selective rare cancers, including m ycosis fungoides, involved in the development of cancer. A multicentre case -control study was conducted in six European countries. Only incident cases with confirmed histology were included in the analysis which include a tot al of 76 cases of MF and 2899 controls. Wine intake had no protective effec t; on the contrary the consumption of more than 24 g of alcohol per day was associated with a high risk of MF (odds ratio (OR) = 3.02, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.34-6.79), after adjusting for centre, country, age, sex an d education. There was a dose-dependent increase in the risk of MF with inc reased smoking habits, albeit the observed trend was not statistically sign ificant. A combined exposure to high tobacco and alcohol use yielded a sign ificantly increased risk factor for MF (P = 0.0073). Alcohol intake was ass ociated with MF. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.