N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene encodes a key enzyme involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics and whose polymorphisms have been related to individual susceptibility to several malignancies. Although many epidemiological studies have explored the association between NAT2 genetic polymorphism and lung cancer risk, the results remain controversial. In order to assess the overall relationship between NAT2 polymorphism and lung cancer risk, we performed a meta-analysis including 3945 lung cancer cases and 6085 controls from 19 published studies which were selected from 29 articles identified by a search of PubMed up to 1st June 2010. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association. No significant association was found in overall analysis (OR=1.02, 95% CI=0.90-1.16, P=0.01 for heterogeneity) and in subgroup analyses by ethnicity, sex, histological type, smoking status and study design. In conclusion, this meta-analysis found little evidence of an association between the NAT2 polymorphism and the risk of lung cancer.
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