Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28982817›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2017

Cigarette smoking and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

Mengjuan Long, Zhenming Fu, Ping Li, Zhihua Nie

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
5.0field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Passive smoking and risk of head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of cancer prevention : the official journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP) · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
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  5. Effectiveness ofFrontiers in immunology · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Epigenomic landscape of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2025
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Mengjuan LongDepartment of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zhenming FuDepartment of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Ping LiDepartment of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zhihua NieDepartment of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Wuhan University · CNZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe role of cigarette smoking as an independent risk factor for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is controversial. We attempted to provide evidence of a reliable association between cigarette smoking and the risk of NPC.

designMeta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed online and the Cochrane Library of relevant studies published up to February 2016. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All studies had to evaluate the relationship between NPC and cigarette smoking with never smokers as the reference group. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was the adjusted OR, RR or HR of NPC patients comparing smoking with never-smoking; the second was the crude OR, RR or HR.

resultsWe identified 17 case-control studies and 4 cohort studies including 5960 NPC cases and 429 464 subjects. Compared with never smokers, current smokers and ever smokers had a 59% and a 56% greater risk of NPC, respectively. A dose-response relationship was identified in that the risk estimate rose by 15% (p<0.001) with every additional 10 pack-years of smoking, and risk increased with intensity of cigarette smoking (>30 cigarettes per day). Significantly increased risk was only found among male smokers (OR, 1.36; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.60), not among female smokers (OR, 1.58; 95% CI 0.99 to 2.53). Significantly increased risk also existed in the differentiated (OR, 2.34; 95% CI 1.77 to 3.09) and the undifferentiated type of NPC (OR, 1.15; 95% CI 0.90 to 1.46). Moreover, people who started smoking at younger age (<18 years) had a greater risk than those starting later for developing NPC (OR, 1.78; 95% CI 1.41 to 2.25).

conclusionsCigarette smoking was associated with increased risk of NPC, especially for young smokers. However, we did not find statistical significant risks of NPC in women and in undifferentiated type, which might warrant further researches.

Indexed as

Age FactorsCarcinomaCigarette SmokingEpidemiologic StudiesHumansNasopharyngeal CarcinomaNasopharyngeal NeoplasmsRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsSex Factorscigarettemeta-analysisnasopharyngeal carcinomarisk factorsmoker

Identifiers

PMID28982817
PMCPMC5640018
OpenAlexW2762514572

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.