Research into risk factors causing malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs in the Aral sea region of Uzbekistan: A case-control study

An alarming trend is observed in recent years involving growing incidence of malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. It appears to be associated with a non-hereditary etiology. Behavioral factors, lifestyle, nutrition, microbes, the environment and physiological mechanisms of the host may all play a key role in this. This prompted us to study risk factors causing development of malignant neoplasms.

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors causing malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs in the Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan (the Republic of Karakalpakstan). These risk factors were established by conducting a case-control analytical epidemiological study involving 307 participants; of them, 151 were respondents with malignant neoplasms of the digestive system and 156 relatively healthy respondents. The study was conducted at the Karakalpakstan branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Centre for Oncology and Radiology of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The results of the study have determined that the leading risk factors causing development of digestive cancer are bad habits such as alcohol consumption of 500 ml/week or more (OR = 2.09), smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day (OR = 2.61) and being a current smoker (OR = 2.72). Smoking nasvay, which is common in Central Asia, is also a significant risk factor for digestive cancer in men (OR = 3.587). Dietary habits also play an important role, particularly the consumption of 500 g or more of red meat per week, which creates elevated risks of developing cancer of the digestive organs (OR = 2.08). The physiological balance of the human body determines its health state. Thus, abdominal obesity (OR = 2.24) and a history of being overweight (OR = 2.69) increase the risk of developing malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs. Additionally, the odds ratio (OR) for individuals who prefer hot tea is 1.31 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.83–2.07). According to our findings, psycho-emotional states such as stress following the loss of a loved one (OR = 3.25), work involving stressful tasks (OR = 2.84), intense work (OR = 2.17), sleep disorders or insomnia in the last six months (OR = 2.20), and prolonged depression (OR = 2.12) increase the risk of developing digestive cancer.

All examined risk factors are manageable and each of them can be a target for primary prevention of malignant neoplasms of the digestive system.