Relationship Between Esophageal Cancer and Blood Groups

Risk factors for development of esophageal cancer and patients at risk have not been well understood yet. In this study we evaluated the association of ABO blood groups with incidence and clinicopathologic features of esophageal squamus cell carcinoma (SCC) in 375 cases treated in the referral cancer institute during five years period (2001-2006). Overall, the most prevalent blood group both in SCC and the general population was A. In the SCC group, the frequencies of blood groups B and AB were more than and frequencies of blood groups A and O were less than control group (P value = 0.027). In comparison of individuals with B antigen (blood groups B and AB) and without B antigen (blood groups A and O), this difference became more prominent (P value = 0.004) (Odds ratio=1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.86). There was no statistically significant association between ABO and Rh blood groups with age, gender, site and size of tumor, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, degree of differentiation, presence of vascular, lymphatic and perineural invasion and presence of simultaneous multiple cancers. We found presence of B antigen as a possible risk factor for esophageal SCC. This association was more pronounced in male patients.