Alcohol intake and risk of thyroid cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

BACKGROUND: Certain studies suggest that alcohol may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in women, but the effect in men remains unclear. METHODS: We analysed the association between alcohol and thyroid cancer in a large (n = 490 159) prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study with self-reported beer, wine, and liquor intakes. RESULTS: Over 7.5 years of follow-up ( median), 170 men and 200 women developed thyroid cancer. Overall, the thyroid cancer risk decreased with greater alcohol consumption (>= 2 drinks per day vs none, relative risk 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.89, P-trend = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a potential protective role for alcohol consumption in thyroid cancer. British Journal of Cancer ( 2009) 101, 1630-1634. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605337 www.bjcancer.com Published online 29 September 2009 (C) 2009 Cancer Research UK