Association between Fermented Fish Eating and Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma is high in northeastern Thailand, and
extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is the primary type. Nitrosamines can
cause cancer and this substance forms during the fermentation process.
Previous research investigated the association between eating fermented
fish and cholangiocarcinoma. The results, however, were inconclusive and
there is no previous study for extrahepatic type. The current study aimed
to investigate the association between eating fermented fish and extrahepatic
cholangiocarcinoma. The data were from the project of association between
praziquantel treatment and cholangiocarcinoma: a hospital-based matched
case–control study. There were 102 cases of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
and 408 control subjects. Data collection was performed at Srinagarind
Hospital, Khon Kaen University. Conditional multiple logistic regression was
used for data analysis to investigate the association between eating
fermented fish and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
The results showed a statistically significant association between eating
raw fermented fish and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The amount
consumed was not significantly associated.
Taken together, eating raw fermented fish is significantly associated
with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, so policy makers should continue
to promote the avoidance of eating raw fermented fish.