Processed meat consumption and squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus in a large case-control study in Uruguay

Background: The role of processed meat in the aetiology of squamous cell oesophageal cancer has been explored in detail. Methods: In the time period 1990-2005, a case-control study was conducted in Montevideo, Uruguay including 2,368 participants (876 cases of oesophageal cancer and 1,492 controls). Relative risks, approximated by the odds ratios, were estimated by multiple unconditional logistic regression. Results: Processed meat was positively associated with oesophageal cancer (upper quartile vs lower quartile OR 2.30, 95%CI 1.72-3.07), whereas salted meat intake was positively associated with squamous cell oesophageal cancer (OR 3.82, 95%CI 2.74-5.33). Finally other cured meats were positively associated with oesophageal cancer (OR 1.65, 95%CI 1.22-2.22). Conclusions: It could be concluded that processed meat consumption could be an important risk factor for the aetiology of squamous cell oesophageal cancer in Uruguay.