Tooth loss is associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis with dose-response analysis

Epidemiological studies have revealed the association between tooth loss and the risk of esophageal cancer (EC); however, consistent results were not obtained from different single studies. Therefore, we conducted the present meta-analysis to evaluate the association between tooth loss and EC. We conducted electronic searches of PubMed until to February 10, 2015 to identify relevant observational studies that examined the association between tooth loss and the risk of EC. Study selection and data extraction from eligible studies were independently performed by two authors. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 12.0 software. Finally eight eligible publications with ten studies involving 3 cohort studies, 5 case-control studies and 1 cross-sectional study were yielded. Meta-analysis identified tooth loss increased risk of EC 1.30 times (Relative risk = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.06–1.60, I 2 = 13.5%). Dose-response analysis showed linear relationship between tooth loss and risk of EC (RR = 1.01, 95%CI = 1.00–1.03; P for non-linearity test was 0.45). Subgroup analysis proved similar results and publication bias was not detected. In conclusion, tooth loss could be considered to be a significant and dependent risk factor for EC based on the current evidence.