Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Recreational physical activity and risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis within the international head and neck cancer epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium

  • Cancer
  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 08 October 2011

Abstract

Increasing evidence suggests that physical activity could prevent cancer, but scanty data is available on head and neck cancer (HNC). The aim of our study is to clarify the effect of recreational physical activity (rPA) on HNC. We analyzed data from four case–control studies, including 2,289 HNC cases and 5,580 controls. rPA was classified as: none/low (reference group), moderate and high. We calculated summary Odds Ratios (ORs) by pooling study-specific ORs. Overall, moderate rPA was associated with 22% lower risk of HNC compared to those with none or very low rPA levels [OR = 0.78, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 0.66, 0.91]. Moderate rPA is associated with reduced risk of oral (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.97) and pharyngeal cancer (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.85), as well as high rPA levels (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.88 for oral cavity, OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.89 for pharynx). High rPA levels, however, is associated with higher risk of laryngeal cancer (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.88). Stratified analyses showed that such inverse association between moderate rPA and HNC was more evident among males (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.90), subjects ≥45 years (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.93), and ever smokers and ever drinkers (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.88). High rPA significantly reduces HNC risk among subject ≥45 years (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.91). Promoting rPA might be inversely associated with HNC.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CI:

Confidence interval

HNC:

Head and neck cancer

INHANCE:

International head and neck cancer epidemiology

OR:

Odds ratio

PA:

Physical activity

PF:

Preventable fraction

rPA:

Recreational physical activity

References

  1. Parkin DM, Whelan SL, Ferlay J, et al. Cancer incidence in five continents, vol 8. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hashibe M, Brennan P, Benhamou S, et al. Alcohol drinking in never users of tobacco, cigarette smoking in never drinkers, and the risk of head and neck cancer: pooled analysis in the international head and neck cancer epidemiology. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007;99(10):777–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cherry TA. A theory of cancer. Med J Aus. 1922;1:425–38.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Siversten I, Dahlstrom AW. The relation of muscular activity and susceptibility to cancer. A preliminary report. Am J Cancer. 1921;6:365–78.

    Google Scholar 

  5. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer research. Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global prespective. Washington, DC: American Institute for Cancer research; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Tardon A, Lee WJ, Delgado-Rodriguez M, et al. Leisure-time physical activity and lung cancer: a meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control. 2005;16(4):389–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Olsen CM, Bain CJ, Jordan SJ, et al. Recreational physical activity and epithelial ovarian cancer: a case-control study, systematic review, and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16(11):2321–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Inoue M, Yamamoto S, Kurahashi N, et al. Daily total physical activity level and total cancer risk in men and women: results from a large-scale population-based cohort study in Japan. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;168(4):391–403.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Martin SA, Pence BD, Woods JA. Exercise and respiratory tract viral infections. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2009;37(4):157–64.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Leitzmann MF, Koebnick C, Freedman ND, et al. Physical activity and head and neck cancer risk. Cancer Causes Control. 2008;19(10):1391–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Soll-Johanning H, Bach E. Occupational exposure to air pollution and cancer risk among Danish urban mail carriers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2004;77(5):351–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dosemeci M, Hayes RB, Vetter R, et al. Occupational physical activity, socioeconomic status, and risks of 15 cancer sites in Turkey. Cancer Causes Control. 1993;4(4):313–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Schatzkin A, Subar AF, Thompson FE, et al. Design and serendipity in establishing a large cohort with wide dietary intake distributions: the national institutes of health-american association of retired person’s diet and health study. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;154(12):1119–25.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Bosetti C, Gallus S, Trichopoulou A, Talamini R, Franceschi S, Negri E, et al. Influence of the Mediterranean diet on the risk of cancers of the upper aero digestive tract. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2003;12:1091–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. De Feo E, Rowell J, Cadoni G, Nicolotti N, Arzani D, Giorgio A, Amore R, Paludetti G, Ricciardi G, Boccia S. A case-control study on the effect of apoliprotein E genotype on head and neck cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010;19(11):2839–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Olshan AF, Weissler MC, Watson MA, Bell DA. GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, CYP1A1, and NAT1 polymorphisms, tobacco use, and the risk of head and neck cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000;9:185–91.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Oze I, Matsuo K, Suzuki T, Kawase T, Watanabe M, Hiraki A, Ito H, Hosono S, Ozawa T, Hatooka S, Yatabe Y, Hasegawa Y, Shinoda M, Kiura K, Tajima K, Tanimoto M, Tanaka H. Impact of multiple alcohol dehydrogenase gene polymorphisms on risk of upper aero digestive tract cancers in a Japanese population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18(11):3097–102.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjöström M, et al. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;35(8):1381–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Physical activity guidelines advisory committee report, 2008. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Egger M, Smith GD, Altman D. Systematic reviews in health care. Meta-analysis in context. London: BMJ Books; 2001.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  21. Rubin DB. Multiple imputation for nonresponse in surveys. NY: Wiley; 1987.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. Higgins JP, Thompson SG, Deeks JJ, et al. Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ. 2003;327(7414):557–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Klentrou P, Klentrou P, Cieslak T, MacNeil M, et al. Effect of moderate exercise on salivary immunoglobulin A and infection risk in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002;87(2):153–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Rothman KJ, Greenland S, Lash TL. Modern epidemiology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Novas AM, Rowbottom DG, Jenkins DG. Tennis, incidence of URTI and salivary IgA. Int J Sports Med. 2003;24(3):223–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Inoue M, Yamamoto S, Kurahashi N, Iwasaki M, Sasazuki S, Tsugane S, Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study Group. Daily total physical activity level and total cancer risk in men and women: results from a large-scale population-based cohort study in Japan. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;4:391–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mazzoccoli G, De Cata A, Greco A, et al. Aging related changes of circadian rhythmicity of cytotoxic lymphocyte subpopulations. J Circadian Rhythm. 2010;8(1):6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kacakci A, Aslan I, Toplan S, et al. Significance of the counteracting oxidative and antioxidative systems in the pathogenesis of laryngeal carcinoma. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;38(2):172–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Wu HJ, Chi CW, Liu TY. Effects of pH on nicotine-induced DNA damage and oxidative stress. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2005;68(17–18):1511–23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Warnakulasuriya S, Parkkila S, Nagao T, et al. Demonstration of ethanol-induced protein adducts in oral leukoplakia (pre-cancer) and cancer. J Oral Pathol Med. 2008;37(3):157–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Blair SN, Cheng Y, Holder JS. Is physical activity or physical fitness more important in defining health benefits? Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33:S379–99.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Humphrey SP, Williamson RT. A review of saliva: normal composition, flow, and function. J Prosthet Dent. 2001;85(2):162–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ensley JF, Gutkind JS, Ensley JF, Jacobs JR, Lippman SM. Head and neck cancer. Emerging perspectives. San Diego: Elsevier; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Bosetti C, Franceschi S, Negri E, et al. Changing socioeconomic correlates for cancers of the upper digestive tract. Ann Oncol. 2001;12(3):327–30.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Gaudet MM, Olshan AF, Chuang SC, et al. Body mass index and risk of head and neck cancer in a pooled analysis of case-control studies in the international head and neck cancer epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium. Int J Epidemiol. 2010;39(4):1091–102.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Heck JE, Berthiller J, Vaccarella S, et al. Sexual behaviours and the risk of head and neck cancers: a pooled analysis in the international head and neck cancer epidemiology (INHANCE) CONSORTIUM. Int J Epidemiol. 2010;39(1):166–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetic Epidemiology and Public Health Genomics Unit, Institute of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L.go F. Vito, 1-00168, Rome, Italy

    Nicola Nicolotti, Dario Arzani, Gualtiero Ricciardi & Stefania Boccia

  2. Imperial College London, London, UK

    Shu-Chun Chuang

  3. Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

    Gabriella Cadoni, Livia Petrelli & Gaetano Paludetti

  4. Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Cristina Bosetti & Carlo La Vecchia

  5. Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, Germany-Saarland Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Saarland, Germany

    Hermann Brenner & Heiko Müller

  6. Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan

    Satoyo Hosono & Keitaro Matsuo

  7. Department of Occupational Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Carlo La Vecchia

  8. Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA

    Joshua Muscat

  9. The Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Paolo Boffetta

  10. International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France

    Paolo Boffetta

  11. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Mia Hashibe

  12. San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy

    Stefania Boccia

Authors
  1. Nicola Nicolotti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shu-Chun Chuang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gabriella Cadoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dario Arzani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  5. Livia Petrelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  6. Cristina Bosetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hermann Brenner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  8. Satoyo Hosono
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  9. Carlo La Vecchia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  10. Keitaro Matsuo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  11. Heiko Müller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  12. Joshua Muscat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  13. Gaetano Paludetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  14. Gualtiero Ricciardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  15. Paolo Boffetta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  16. Mia Hashibe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  17. Stefania Boccia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefania Boccia.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10654-011-9616-z

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nicolotti, N., Chuang, SC., Cadoni, G. et al. Recreational physical activity and risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis within the international head and neck cancer epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium. Eur J Epidemiol 26, 619–628 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-011-9612-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-011-9612-3

Keywords

Profiles

  1. Hermann Brenner View author profile
  2. Stefania Boccia View author profile