The metabolic syndrome and risk factors for biliary tract cancer: a case-control study in China

Objectives: Recent data show that the metabolic syndrome may play a role in several cancers, but theetiology for biliary tract cancer is incompletely defined. The present aim was to evaluate risk factors for biliarytract cancer in China. Methods: A case-control study in which cases were biliary tract cancer patients referredto Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Controls were randomly selected from an existingdatabase of healthy individuals at the Health Screening Center of PUMCH. Data on the metabolic syndrome,liver diseases, family history, and history of diabetes and hypertension were collected by retrospective reviewof the patients’ records and health examination reports or by interview. Results: A total of 281 patients (102intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), 86 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) and 93 gallbladdercarcinoma (GC)) and 835 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. HBsAg+/anti-HBc+ (P=0.002), history ofdiabetes (P=0.000), cholelithiasis (P=0.000), TC (P=0.003), and HDL (P=0.000) were significantly related to ICC.Cholelithiasis (P=0.000), Tri (P=0.001), LDL (P=0.000), diabetes (P=0.000), Apo A (P=0.000) and Apo B (P=0.012)were significantly associated with ECC. Diabetes (P=0.017), cholelithiasis (P=0.000) and Apo A (P=0.000) werestrongly inversely correlated with GC. Conclusion: Cholelithiasis, HBV infection and metabolic symptoms maybe potential risk factors for the development of biliary tract cancer.