Gamma-glutamyltransferase and the risk of head and neck cancer mortality

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between baseline serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels and the mortality risk of head and neck cancers. Methods: A total of 481 414 Korean participants aged 40–79 years at enrollment were examined. The hazard ratios for head and neck cancer mortality were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, which were adjusted for potential confounding factors. Results: In the overall study population, high gamma-glutamyltransferase levels were significantly associated with head and neck cancers mortality in a dose-response linear relation (p < 0.001). After excluding participants (n = 125) who died of head and neck cancers within five years of enrollment, the main results remained similar to those of the analysis of all 313 head and neck cancers deaths in the study population. Conclusion: These findings indicate that serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity is positively associated with an increased mortality risk in head and neck cancers in a dose-dependent manner.