Alcohol is a risk factor for cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, colorectum, liver, larynx and female breast, whereas its impact on other cancers remains controversial. We investigated the effect of alcohol on 23 cancer types through a meta-analytic approach. We used dose–response meta-regression models and investigated potential sources of heterogeneity. A total of 572 studies, including 486 538 cancer cases, were identified. Relative risks (RRs) for heavy drinkers compared with nondrinkers and occasional drinkers were 5.13 for oral and pharyngeal cancer, 4.95 for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, 1.44 for colorectal, 2.65 for laryngeal and 1.61 for breast cancer; for those neoplasms there was a clear dose–risk relationship. Heavy drinkers also had a significantly higher risk of cancer of the stomach (RR 1.21), liver (2.07), gallbladder (2.64), pancreas (1.19) and lung (1.15). There was indication of a positive association between alcohol consumption and risk of melanoma and prostate cancer. Alcohol consumption and risk of Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas were inversely associated. Alcohol increases risk of cancer of oral cavity and pharynx, oesophagus, colorectum, liver, larynx and female breast. There is accumulating evidence that alcohol drinking is associated with some other cancers such as pancreas and prostate cancer and melanoma.

There is convincing evidence that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer of the colorectum, breast, larynx, liver, esophagus, oral cavity and pharynx. Most of the data derive from studies that focused on the effect of moderate/high alcohol intakes, while little is known about light alcohol drinking (up to 1 drink/day). We evaluated the association between light drinking and cancer of the colorectum, breast, larynx, liver, esophagus, oral cavity and pharynx, through a meta-analytic approach. We searched epidemiological studies using PubMed, ISI Web of Science and EMBASE, published before December 2010. We included 222 articles comprising ∼92 000 light drinkers and 60 000 non-drinkers with cancer. Light drinking was associated with the risk of oropharyngeal cancer [relative risk, RR = 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.29], esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (RR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.09–1.56) and female breast cancer (RR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.02–1.08). We estimated that ∼5000 deaths from oropharyngeal cancer, 24 000 from esophageal SCC and 5000 from breast cancer were attributable to light drinking in 2004 worldwide. No association was found for colorectum, liver and larynx tumors. Light drinking increases the risk of cancer of oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus and female breast.

Acute sore throat is a symptom often caused by an inflammatory process in the pharynx, tonsils or nasopharynx. Most of these cases are of viral origin and occur as a part of the common cold. Adults average two to four and children six to eight upper respiratory tract infections per year usually during the colder months of the year. In addition to viral pathogens, bacterial pathogens may also cause pharyngeal infections. These pathogens include Streptococcus pyogenes (group A β-haemolytic streptococcus), but groups C or G β-haemolytic streptococci as well as Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae have also been suggested to be pathogens. Although rare today in Europe, streptococcal pharyngitis can be complicated by acute rheumatic fever or acute glomerulonephritis. Fear of these complications, or a wish to relieve pain or to satisfy patients often lead physicians to use antibiotic treatment for sore throat.

Background: Whether an association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk exists is an open question. In order to provide a definite quantification of the association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk, we conducted a meta-analysis of available data. Patients and methods: We carried out a PubMed search of articles published up to June 2010 and identified 44 case–control and 15 cohort studies, including a total of 34 557 gastric cancer cases. We derived meta-analytic estimates using random-effects models, taking into account correlation between estimates. We carried out a dose–risk analysis using nonlinear random-effects meta-regression models. Results: Compared with nondrinkers, the pooled relative risk (RR) was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.13] for alcohol drinkers and 1.20 (95% CI 1.01–1.44) for heavy alcohol drinkers (≥4 drinks per day). The pooled estimates were apparently higher for gastric noncardia (RR for heavy drinkers = 1.17, 95% CI 0.78–1.75) than for gastric cardia (RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.67–1.47) adenocarcinoma. The dose–risk model estimated a RR of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91–0.99) for 10 g/day and 1.14 (95% CI 1.08–1.21) for 50 g/day. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides definite evidence of a lack of association between moderate alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk. There was, however, a positive association with heavy alcohol drinking.

The study of probiotics to prevent allergic conditions has yielded conflicting results in children. We undertook a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to investigate whether probiotic use during pregnancy and early life decreases the incidence of atopic dermatitis and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-associated atopic dermatitis in infants and young children. We performed a systematic literature search in Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library, updated to October 2011. The intervention was diet supplementation with probiotics versus placebo. Primary outcomes were incidence of atopic dermatitis and IgE-associated atopic dermatitis. We calculated summary relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using both fixed- and random-effects models. We computed summary estimates across several strata, including study period, type of patient, dose, and duration of intervention, and we assessed the risk of bias within and across trials. We identified 18 publications based on 14 studies. Meta-analysis demonstrated that probiotic use decreased the incidence of atopic dermatitis (RR = 0.79 [95% CI = 0.71−0.88]). Studies were fairly homogeneous (I2 = 24.0%). The corresponding RR of IgE-associated atopic dermatitis was 0.80 (95% CI = 0.66−0.96). No appreciable difference emerged across strata, nor was there evidence of publication bias. This meta-analysis provided evidence in support of a moderate role of probiotics in the prevention of atopic dermatitis and IgE-associated atopic dermatitis in infants. The favorable effect was similar regardless of the time of probiotic use (pregnancy or early life) or the subject(s) receiving probiotics (mother, child, or both).

High intakes of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer at several sites. Evidence has been derived mainly from case–control studies. We reviewed the relationship between consumption of vegetables and fruit and the risk of several common cancers in a network of Italian and Swiss case–control studies including over 10 000 cases of fourteen different cancers and about 17 000 controls. Data were suggestive of a protective role of vegetable intake on the risk of several common epithelial cancers. OR for the highest compared with the lowest levels of consumption ranged from 0·2 (larynx, oral cavity and pharynx) to 0·9 (prostate). Inverse associations were found for both raw and cooked vegetables, although for upper digestive tract cancers the former were somewhat stronger. Similar inverse associations were found for cruciferous vegetables. Frequent consumption of allium vegetables was also associated with reduced risk of several cancers. Fruit was a favourable correlate of the risk of several cancers, particularly of the upper digestive tract, with associations generally weaker than those reported for vegetables. A reduced risk of cancers of the digestive tract and larynx was found for high consumption of citrus fruit. Suggestive protections against several forms of cancer, mainly digestive tract cancers, were found for high consumption of apples and tomatoes. High intakes of fibres, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins were inversely related to various forms of cancer. In conclusion, data from our series of case–control studies suggested a favourable role of high intakes of fruit and vegetables in the risk of many common cancers, particularly of the digestive tract. This adds evidence to the indication that aspects of the Mediterranean diet may have a favourable impact not only on CVD, but also on several common (epithelial) cancers, particularly of the digestive tract.