Table 3.

Adjusted Relative Risks of All-Site and Cancer-Specific Mortality, by Alcohol Quantity and Frequency Among Current Drinkers (n = 173,367), in a Pooled National Health Interview Survey Cohort, United States, 1988–2006^a,b

Cancer Site and Drinking Patternc	All Participants				Men				Women
	No. of Deaths	Total No. of Persons	RR	95% CI	No. of Deaths	Total No. of Persons	RR	95% CI	No. of Deaths	Total No. of Persons	RR	95% CI
All-site cancer
Q = 1 (referent)	1,333	54,986	1		686	22,352	1		647	32,634	1
Q = 2	1,034	56,651	1.08	0.98, 1.19	610	28,143	1.06	0.92, 1.21	424	28,508	1.12	0.97, 1.29
Q ≥ 3	1,015	61,730	1.22	1.10, 1.36	759	40,267	1.24	1.09, 1.41	256	21,463	1.18	0.99, 1.41
P-trendd			<0.001				0.001				0.06
F < 1 (referent)	985	72,109	1		486	29,633	1		499	42,476	1
F = 1–2	991	63,473	0.94	0.85, 1.05	617	36,028	0.93	0.82, 1.07	374	27,445	0.96	0.82, 1.12
F ≥ 3	1,406	37,785	1.14	1.03, 1.25	952	25,101	1.06	0.94, 1.20	454	12,684	1.32	1.13, 1.55
P-trend			<0.001				0.08				<0.001
Lung cancer
Q = 1 (referent)	331	54,986		1	174	22,352	1		157	32,634	1
Q = 2	341	56,651	1.28	1.08, 1.53	201	28,143	1.25	0.98, 1.58	140	28,508	1.36	1.05, 1.76
Q ≥ 3	387	61,730	1.44	1.20, 1.72	298	40,267	1.48	1.18, 1.85	89	21,463	1.28	0.93, 1.77
P-trend			0.001				0.002				0.09
F < 1 (referent)	282	72,109		1	152	29,633	1		130	42,476	1
F = 1–2	277	63,473	0.82	0.67, 0.99	180	36,028	0.78	0.61, 0.99	97	27,445	0.85	0.62, 1.17
F ≥ 3	500	37,785	1.09	0.92, 1.29	341	25,101	0.99	0.80, 1.23	159	12,684	1.29	0.98, 1.69
P-trend			0.02				0.23				0.01
Lung cancer (never smokers only)
Q = 1 (referent)	30	29,333	1		11	10,721	1		19	18,612	1
Q = 2	21	26,400	1.49	0.75, 2.94	10	12,633	1.14	0.41, 3.16	11	13,767	1.75	0.71, 4.34
Q ≥ 3	12	22,277	1.82	0.71, 4.68	10	14,802	1.75	0.60, 5.09	2	7,475	1.65	0.26, 10.35
P-trend			0.18				0.31				0.31
F < 1 (referent)	17	36,958	1		9	14,512	1		8	22,446	1
F = 1–2	21	28,775	1.37	0.70, 2.68	9	15,953	0.89	0.32, 2.50	12	12,822	1.77	0.74, 4.21
F ≥ 3	25	12,277	1.60	0.77, 3.35	13	7,691	0.95	0.34, 2.61	12	4,586	2.32	0.77, 6.95
P-trend			0.24				0.96				0.18
Colorectal cancer
Q = 1 (referent)	140	54,986	1		75	22,352	1		65	32,634	1
Q = 2	85	56,651	0.85	0.63, 1.17	51	28,143	0.76	0.50, 1.16	34	28,508	0.99	0.64, 1.52
Q ≥ 3	82	61,730	1.06	0.75, 1.50	58	40,267	0.81	0.52, 1.25	24	21,463	1.93	1.17, 3.18
P-trend			0.67				0.44				0.03
F < 1 (referent)	93	72,109	1		41	29,633	1		52	42,476	1
F = 1–2	100	63,473	1.16	0.84, 1.59	67	36,028	1.22	0.80, 1.87	33	27,445	1.05	0.64, 1.72
F ≥ 3	114	37,785	1.21	0.88, 1.67	76	25,101	1.23	0.80, 1.90	38	12,684	1.18	0.73, 1.91
P-trend			0.36				0.51				0.52
Prostate cancer (men) or breast cancer (women)
Q = 1 (referent)					85	22,352	1		103	32,634	1
Q = 2					52	28,143	0.93	0.61, 1.41	65	28,508	0.84	0.57, 1.23
Q ≥ 3					53	40,267	0.90	0.58, 1.39	37	21,463	0.72	0.45, 1.16
P-trend							0.76				0.13
F < 1 (referent)					40	29,633	1		80	42,476	1
F = 1–2					64	36,028	1.70	1.09, 2.64	61	27,445	1.00	0.67, 1.50
F ≥ 3					86	25,101	1.55	1.01, 2.38	64	12,684	1.44	0.96, 2.17
P-trend							0.25				0.06

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; RR, relative risk.

^aPooled data from the 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1997–2004 administrations of the National Health Interview Survey, with follow-up through 2006.

^bRelative risks were adjusted for race/ethnicity, education, region, marital status, smoking status (including tertiles of smoking intensity among current smokers), body mass index, and gender and mutually adjusted for either quantity or frequency (as appropriate).

^cF, frequency (average number of drinking days per week); Q, quantity (number of drinks consumed, on average, on drinking days).

^dP for linear trend based on the adjusted Wald F test.