Risk factors for cancers of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses among white men in the United States.

A case-control analysis of cancer of the nasal cavity and sinuses was performed using data from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey. Data on cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, usual diet, and other factors from 147 white men who died from nasal cancer and from 449 controls who died from other causes were compared. Cigarette smoking was related to an increased risk of nasal cancer, with a doubling of risk among heavy or long-term smokers and a reduction in risk among long-term quitters. Among nonsmokers, having a spouse who smoked was associated with a significantly elevated risk of nasal cancer. After adjustment for smoking, a significant dose-response relation was also noted between alcohol drinking and risk of nasal cancer. High consumption of salted/smoked foods was associated with elevated risk, and risk tended to decrease with increasing intake of vegetables. Associations were more pronounced for cigarette smoking and certain dietary items when the analysis was restricted to maxillary sinus cancer. The study confirms that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for nasal cancer, and provides further evidence that dietary factors may play a role in the etiology of this malignancy.