Hepatobiliary Cancers

Case-Control Study of Biliary Tract Cancer in Shanghai

This is a population-based multidisciplinary case-control study that was conducted in Shanghai, China, from 1997 to 2002, to investigate the risk factors for biliary tract cancer. The study enrolled over 3,000 persons, including 643 case subjects with cancer (382 gallbladder, 192 bile duct, and 68 ampulla of Vater), 1,037 control subjects with gallstones and bile duct stones, and 959 healthy subjects randomly selected from the population. Potential risk factors evaluated included a history of gallstones, bacterial infection of the biliary tract, diabetes, cholecystitis, diet, use of tobacco and/or alcohol, obesity, reproductive factors, and a family history of cancer. In addition to an in-person interview, blood and urine samples were collected from cases and controls. Bile samples, gallstones, and tissue were collected from cases and gallstone controls for biochemical, molecular, and microbiologic analyses. More information, Ann Hsing