BACKGROUND/
AIMS: This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between
family history of gastrointestinal (GI)
cancers and
incidence of any GI
cancer in the Korean
population .
METHODS: Between January 2015 and July 2016, 711 GI
cancer patients and 849 controls in 16
hospitals in
Korea were enrolled. Personal medical
histories ,
life styles , and
family history of GI
cancers were collected via
questionnaire .
RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the
incidence of
family history of GI
cancer between GI
cancer patients and controls (p=0.002).
Patients with
family history of GI
cancer tended to be diagnosed as GI
cancer at younger age than those without
family history (p=0.016). The
family members of GI
cancer patients who were diagnosed before 50 years of age were more frequently diagnosed as GI
cancer before the age of 50 years (p=0.017). After adjusting for major confounding
factors, age (adjusted
odds ratio [AOR] 1.065, 95%
confidence interval [CI]; 1.053–1.076),
male gender (AOR 2.270, 95% CI; 1.618–3.184),
smoking (AOR 1.570, 95% CI; 1.130–2.182), and
sibling 's
history of GI
cancer (AOR 1.973, 95% CI; 1.246–3.126) remained independently associated with GI
cancers .
CONCLUSIONS: GI
cancer patients tended to have a first relative with a
history of concordant GI
cancer . Personal factors (old age and
male ) and
lifestyle (
smoking ) contribute to the development of GI
cancer , independently. Individuals with high
risk for GI
cancers may be advised to undergo
screening at an earlier age.