Association between Socioeconomic Status and Digestive Tract Cancers: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Socioeconomic status (SES) is a known factor influencing cancer risk globally.
• Limited research has explored the SES-cancer association specifically within Japan's population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the risk of digestive tract cancers in Japan.
• To evaluate education level and areal deprivation index (ADI) as indicators of SES in relation to cancer risk.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted using data from the Hospital-based Epidemiological Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center III (HERPACC III).
• 3188 cases of head and neck, esophageal, stomach, and colorectal cancers were matched with an equal number of controls.
• Conditional logistic models were used to assess associations, adjusting for potential confounders.

Main Results:

• Higher education levels demonstrated a significant inverse association with head and neck, stomach, and colorectal cancer risks.
• Increased areal deprivation index (ADI) showed a positive association with head and neck, esophageal, and stomach cancer risks.
• The association between ADI and stomach cancer risk was attenuated after adjusting for Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis status.

Conclusions:

• Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with an increased risk of digestive cancers in the Japanese population.
• SES indicators like education and ADI are valuable for understanding cancer disparities.
• Findings suggest incorporating SES into cancer prevention strategies for targeted populations in Japan.