Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37710248›Full record

SynthesisBMC public health2023

Environmental and life-style risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hannah Simba, Helena Kuivaniemi, Christian C Abnet, Gerard Tromp, Vikash Sewram

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
7.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Age and sex differences in the global cancer burden.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2026
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  5. Article
  6. Mapping Two Decades of Research on Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Esophageal Cancer: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
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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

5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Hannah SimbaEnvironment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France. simbah@iarc.who.int.
Helena KuivaniemiDivision of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Christian C AbnetDivision of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA.
Gerard TrompDivision of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Vikash SewramAfrican Cancer Institute, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Stellenbosch University · ZANational Cancer Institute · USWestern Cape Department of Health · ZA

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe African Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) corridor, which spans from Ethiopia down to South Africa, is an esophageal cancer hotspot. Disproportionately high incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer have been reported from this region. The aim of this study was to systematically assess the evidence on environmental and life-style risk factors associated with ESCC in African populations.

methodsWe followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and carried out a comprehensive search of all African published studies up to March 2023 using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and African Index Medicus databases.

resultsWe identified 45 studies with measures of association [odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI)], which reported on several environmental and lifestyle risk factors for ESCC in Africa. We performed a meta-analysis on 38 studies investigating tobacco, alcohol use, combined tobacco and alcohol use, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure, hot food and beverages consumption (which served as a proxy for esophageal injury through exposure to high temperature), and poor oral health. We found significant associations between all the risk factors and ESCC development. Analysis of fruit and vegetable consumption showed a protective effect. Using population attributable fraction (PAF) analysis, we calculated the proportion of ESCC attributable to tobacco (18%), alcohol use (12%), combined tobacco and alcohol use (18%), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure (12%), hot food and beverages intake (16%), poor oral health (37%), and fruit and vegetable consumption (-12%).

conclusionsTobacco smoking and alcohol consumption were the most studied risk factors overall. Areas where there is an emerging body of evidence include hot food and beverages and oral health. Concurrently, new avenues of research are also emerging in PAH exposure, and diet as risk factors. Our results point to a multifactorial etiology of ESCC in African populations with further evidence on prevention potential.

Indexed as

Esophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaEthiopiaHumansLife StyleRisk FactorsAfrican esophageal cancer corridorAttributable riskEsophageal cancerRisk factorsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37710248
PMCPMC10500769
OpenAlexW4386744807

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.