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. 2021 Jun 21;60(8):4579–4593. doi: 10.1007/s00394-021-02600-5

Table 4.

Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for meat consumption and cancer of unknown primary risk in the Netherlands cohort study, stratified for cigarette smoking status

Smoking status = never Smoking status = ex Smoking status = current
Subcohort members (n=1517) Cancer of Unknown Primary cases (n=249) Subcohort members (n=1479) Cancer of Unknown Primary cases (n=317) Subcohort members (n=1115) Cancer of Unknown Primary cases (n=333)
Person time at risk (years) Cases Age and sex adjusteda Multivariable adjustedb Person time at risk (years) Cases Age and sex adjusteda Multivariable adjustedb Person time at risk (years) Cases Age- and sex-adjusteda Multivariable adjustedb
n HR 95% CI HR 95% CI n HR 95% CI HR 95% CI n HR 95% CI HR 95% CI p for interactionc
Red meat (overall) 0.273
 Q1 7 381 59 1 Reference 1 Reference 6 067 73 1 Reference 1 Reference 3 895 73 1 Reference 1 Reference
 Q2 6 603 71 1.39 (0.95–2.02) 1.39 (0.95–2.04) 6 476 84 1.15 (0.81–1.63) 1.15 (0.81–1.65) 4 259 69 0.88 (0.60–1.29) 0.84 (0.57–1.24)
 Q3 6 891 74 1.40 (0.96–2.04) 1.43 (0.98–2.08) 6 071 77 1.08 (0.76–1.55) 1.00 (0.70-1.45) 4 221 97 1.27 (0.88–1.82) 1.22 (0.84–1.75)
 Q4 6 403 45 0.93 (0.61–1.42) 0.96 (0.62–1.48) 6 134 83 1.18 (0.83–1.69) 1.01 (0.69–1.47) 5 011 94 1.09 (0.76-1.57) 1.05 (0.72–1.53)
 p for trendd 0.74 0.59 0.67 0.56 0.11 0.12
 Continuous, 50 g per day increments 27 278 249 1.03 (0.88–1.20) 1.05 (0.89–1.23) 24 749 317 1.03 (0.89–1.19) 0.95 (0.81–1.12) 17 477 333 1.14 (0.97–1.34) 1.15 (0.97–1.36) 0.329
Beef 0.880
 Q1 6 475 48 1 Reference 1 Reference 6 205 70 1 Reference 1 Reference 4 612 81 1 Reference 1 Reference
 Q2 6 859 64 1.23 (0.82–1.85) 1.24 (0.83–1.85) 5 929 67 1.03 (0.71–1.49) 1.01 (0.69–1.48) 4 277 77 0.94 (0.65–1.36) 0.90 (0.62–1.31)
 Q3 7 221 70 1.30 (0.87–1.94) 1.31 (0.88–1.95) 6 227 79 1.09 (0.76–1.56) 1.08 (0.75–1.56) 4 487 82 0.98 (0.68–1.40) 0.94 (0.65–1.36)
 Q4 6 722 67 1.23 (0.81–1.84) 1.25 (0.83–1.88) 6 337 101 1.36 (0.97–1.93) 1.29 (0.90–1.83) 4 100 93 1.18 (0.83–1.69) 1.15 (0.80–1.67)
 p for trendd 0.25 0.21 0.05 0.12 0.18 0.18
 Continuous, 50 g per day increments 27 278 249 1.19 (0.89–1.59) 1.21 (0.90–1.63) 24 749 317 1.27 (1.00–1.60) 1.21 (0.95–1.54) 17 477 333 1.21 (0.91–1.61) 1.22 (0.91–1.63) 0.998
Pork 0.220
 Q1 7 206 67 1 Reference 1 Reference 6 488 79 1 Reference 1 Reference 3 768 68 1 Reference 1 Reference
 Q2 6 850 71 1.14 (0.79–1.64) 1.14 (0.79–1.65) 6 253 78 1.06 (0.74–1.50) 0.98 (0.69–1.40) 4 205 101 1.35 (0.93–1.94) 1.27 (0.88–1.84)
 Q3 6 731 67 1.13 (0.78–1.64) 1.14 (0.78–1.65) 5 944 78 1.16 (0.81–1.66) 1.11 (0.77–1.59) 4 614 71 0.85 (0.57–1.24) 0.82 (0.56–1.22)
 Q4 6 491 44 0.77 (0.51–1.17) 0.78 (0.52–1.19) 6 064 82 1.15 (0.81–1.64) 0.97 (0.67–1.41) 4 890 93 1.17 (0.81–1.70) 1.10 (0.75–1.62)
 p for trendd 0.03 0.04 0.73 0.63 0.19 0.24
Continuous, 50 grams per day increments 27 278 249 0.77 (0.61– 0.97) 0.78 (0.61– 0.99) 24 749 317 1.04 (0.85– 1.27) 0.95 (0.76– 1.18) 17 477 333 1.15 0.93– 1.43) 1.15 (0.91– 1.44) 0.056
Minced meat 0.560
 Q1 6 896 60 1 Reference 1 Reference 5 702 86 1 Reference 1 Reference 4 334 91 1 Reference 1 Reference
 Q2 6 329 60 1.08 (0.73–1.60) 1.08 (0.74–1.60) 6 440 96 1.06 (0.76–1.47) 1.01 (0.72–1.42) 4 336 83 0.92 (0.65–1.31) 0.90 (0.63–1.29)
 Q3 7 369 65 1.09 (0.74–1.59) 1.09 (0.74–1.60) 6 183 63 0.72 (0.50–1.05) 0.70 (0.48–1.02) 4 248 79 0.87 (0.60–1.24) 0.86 (0.60–1.25)
 Q4 6 683 64 1.17 (0.79–1.71) 1.19 (0.80–1.75) 6 423 72 0.79 (0.55–1.12) 0.77 (0.54–1.10) 4 559 80 0.82 (0.58–1.17) 0.86 (0.60–1.24)
 p for trendd 0.32 0.29 0.03 0.02 0.46 0.61
 Continuous, 50 g per day increments 27 278 249 1.25 (0.80–1.95) 1.28 (0.82–2.01) 24 749 317 0.64 (0.43–0.95) 0.62 (0.41–0.93) 17 477 333 0.87 (0.59–1.27) 0.90 (0.62–1.33) 0.057
Liver 0.140
 C1 18 432 167 1 Reference 1 Reference 15 882 224 1 Reference 1 Reference 10 472 194 1 Reference 1 Reference
 C2 8 845 82 1.05 (0.78–1.40) 1.06 (0.79–1.43) 8 866 93 0.79 (0.60–1.04) 0.76 (0.58–1.01) 7 005 139 1.11 (0.85–1.44) 1.09 (0.83–1.42)
 p for trendd 0.34 0.29 0.06 0.06 0.81 0.81
 Continuous, 25 g per day increments 27 278 249 1.51 (0.65–3.52) 1.60 (0.68–3.77) 24 749 317 0.45 (0.19–1.03) 0.42 (0.17–1.02) 17 477 333 1.09 (0.56–2.10) 1.09 (0.55–2.15) 0.107
Poultry 0.880
 C1 6 611 58 1 Reference 1 Reference 5 505 70 1 Reference 1 Reference 4 006 75 1 Reference 1 Reference
 C2 6 856 65 1.12 (0.76–1.65) 1.13 (0.76–1.67) 5 754 72 1.06 (0.73–1.53) 1.07 (0.74–1.56) 4 434 93 1.13 (0.79–1.61) 1.21 (0.84–1.75)
 C3 6 156 62 1.19 (0.81–1.77) 1.21 (0.82–1.80) 6 113 80 1.13 (0.78–1.62) 1.13 (0.78–1.63) 4 301 85 1.04 (0.72–1.50) 1.02 (0.69–1.49)
 C4 7 654 64 0.99 (0.67–1.45) 1.00 (0.68–1.48) 7 376 95 1.11 (0.78–1.57) 1.09 (0.76–1.56) 4 735 80 0.86 (0.60–1.24) 0.88 (0.60–1.29)
 p for trendd 0.81 0.85 0.90 0.85 0.10 0.10 0.323
 Continuous, 50 g per day increments 27 278 249 0.94 (0.58–1.52) 0.96 (0.59–1.54) 24 749 317 1.03 (0.68–1.54) 1.04 (0.67–1.61) 17 477 333 0.69 (0.44–1.07) 0.68 (0.43–1.07)
Processed meat 0.239
 Q1 7 109 53 1 Reference 1 Reference 6 332 89 1 Reference 1 Reference 3 620 59 1 Reference 1 Reference
 Q2 6 710 70 1.49 (1.01–2.21) 1.52 (1.02–2.26) 6 661 66 0.76 (0.54–1.09) 0.77 (0.54–1.10) 4 578 80 1.15 (0.78-1.70) 1.12 (0.76–1.67)
 Q3 6 620 59 1.29 (0.86–1.94) 1.36 (0.89–2.07) 5 965 83 1.04 (0.74–1.47) 1.02 (0.72–1.44) 4 510 80 1.13 (0.77–1.67) 1.15 (0.77–1.71)
 Q4 6 838 67 1.42 (0.95–2.11) 1.55 (1.00–2.39) 5 791 79 1.09 (0.77–1.54) 1.06 (0.73–1.54) 4 769 114 1.53 (1.06–2.22) 1.66 (1.12–2.46)
 p for trendd 0.10 0.05 0.19 0.29 0.35 0.09 0.722
 Continuous, 25 g per day increments 27 278 249 1.22 (0.96–1.56) 1.31 (1.00–1.71) 24 749 317 1.16 (0.93–1.44) 1.15 (0.89–1.48) 17 477 333 1.07 (0.92–1.25) 1.15 (0.98–1.36)
Fish 0.804
 Q1 9 221 63 1 Reference 1 Reference 6 087 67 1 Reference 1 Reference 4 540 78 1 Reference 1 Reference
 Q2 5 865 59 1.56 (1.06–2.30) 1.58 (1.07–2.32) 5 983 79 1.13 (0.79–1.63) 1.12 (0.77–1.62) 3 744 78 1.22 (0.84–1.76) 1.26 (0.86–1.83)
 Q3 7 860 80 1.52 (1.06–2.18) 1.54 (1.07–2.22) 8 109 109 1.22 (0.87–1.71) 1.14 (0.80–1.62) 5 076 97 1.10 (0.78–1.56) 1.06 (0.74–1.53)
 Q4 4 331 47 1.57 (1.04–2.38) 1.63 (1.07–2.49) 4 570 62 1.20 (0.82–1.77) 1.16 (0.78–1.72) 4 117 80 1.13 (0.79–1.64) 1.06 (0.73–1.55)
 p for trendd 0.27 0.22 0.20 0.26 0.75 0.96
 Continuous, 25 g per day increments 27 278 249 1.12 (0.92–1.37) 1.14 (0.93–1.39) 24 749 317 1.14 (0.94–1.38) 1.12 (0.92–1.37) 17 477 333 1.03 (0.85–1.25) 0.99 (0.81–1.23) 0.659

aAnalyses were adjusted for age at baseline (years) and sex

bAnalyses were adjusted for age at baseline (years), sex, alcohol consumption, and total energy intake (kcal/day)

cInteractions were calculated with respect to smoking status in relation to the meat variable of interest and CUP risk

dTests for dose–response trends were assessed by fitting ordinal variables as continuous terms in the Cox proportional hazards model