Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and incidence of esophageal cancer: a prospective study of 0.5 million Chinese adults

Journal article

Background & Aims
Evidence is sparse and inconclusive on the association between long-term fine (≤2.5 μm) particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and esophageal cancer. We aimed to assess the association of PM2.5 with esophageal cancer risk and compared the esophageal cancer risk attributable to PM2.5 exposure and other established risk factors.
Methods
This study included 510,125 participants without esophageal cancer at baseline from China Kadoorie Biobank. A high-resolution (1 × 1 km) satellite-based model was used to estimate PM2.5 exposure during the study period. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs of PM2.5 with esophageal cancer incidence were estimated using Cox proportional hazard model. Population attributable fractions for PM2.5 and other established risk factors were estimated.
Results
There was a linear concentration–response relationship between long-term PM2.5 exposure and esophageal cancer. For each 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the HR was 1.16 (95% CI, 1.04–1.30) for esophageal cancer incidence. Compared with the first quarter of PM2.5 exposure, participants in the highest quarter had a 1.32-fold higher risk for esophageal cancer, with an HR of 1.32 (95% CI, 1.01–1.72). The population attributable risk because of annual average PM2.5 concentration ≥35 μg/m3 was 23.3% (95% CI, 6.6%–40.0%), higher than the risks attributable to lifestyle risk factors.
Conclusions
This large prospective cohort study of Chinese adults found that long-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an elevated risk of esophageal cancer. With stringent air pollution mitigation measures in China, a large reduction in the esophageal cancer disease burden can be expected.

Authors: Sun, D; Liu, C; Zhu, Y; Yu, C; Guo, Y

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Gastroenterology
• Volume: 165
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 61-70.e5
• Publication date: 2023-04-12
• Acceptance date: 2023-03-02
• DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.03.233
• EISSN: 1528-0012
• Language: English
• Keywords: FFR; malignant tumor; observational study; digestive tract; ambient air pollution