Association of exposure factors and their causal relationship with oral cancer: A Mendelian randomization study

There is a strong association among risk factors for oral cancer (ORCA), such as smoking, alcohol consumption, fiber intake, and red meat intake. The apparent synergistic effects reported in previous observational studies may also underestimate the independent effects. Our study aims to further explore the potential etiology and causality of oral cancer.

This study used the genome-wide associations study database (GWAS) in European populations for Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore exposure factors associated with ORCA and detect the genetic causality between these exposures and ORCA risk.

Our results demonstrated that in univariate MR analysis, the five exposure factors (celery intake, average weekly beer and cider intake, spirits intake, and pork intake) were risk factors, and oily fish intake was a safety factor, but in multivariate MR analysis, pork intake had the greatest impact on oral cancer when the five food/drink intakes were simultaneously consumed.

The causal relationship between the five exposure factors (oily fish intake, celery intake, pork intake, average weekly beer and cider intake, and spirits intake) and oral cancer was analyzed. The causal effects of pork on oral cancer may be underestimated.

Prevention of oral cancer requires better education about lifestyle-related risk factors, and improved awareness and tools for early diagnosis. Our study provides some risk factors that cannot be ignored for the cause prevention of oral cancer, such as pork intake, and its role in oral cancer prevention and control.