A case series of 15 patients with oesophageal cancer in Blantyre, Malawi. Risk factors for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Sub-Saharan Africa

Results Alcohol and tobacco use were not significant risk factors in female patients; 1(12.5%) female reported 1 pack year history of smoking and none consumed alcohol. Smoking (71.5% of patients) and regular alcohol consumption (57.2% of patients) were common risk factors in men. Exposure to smoke from cooking on wood fires was common in females (87.5%) spending on average 3 hours cooking inside in poorly ventilated kitchens. All patients consumed a daily maize based diet, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of oesophageal cancer via several mechanisms. Patients reported chronic consumption of boiling hot tea in 86.7% of cases and eating nsima (a local maize staple) when boiling hot in 66.7% of cases. Interestingly, two patients reported a family history of oesophageal cancer in their children.