AIM:To evaluate the risk factors for ampullary adenoma and ampullary cancer.METHODS:This case-control study included ampullary tumor patients referred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Controls were randomly selected from an existing database of healthy individuals at the Health Screening Center of the same hospital.Data on metabolic syndromes,medical conditions,and family history were collected by retrospective review of the patients’records and health examination reports,or by interview.RESULTS:A total of 181 patients and 905 age-and sex-matched controls were enrolled.We found that a history of diabetes,cholecystolithiasis,low-density lipoprotein,and apolipoprotein A were significantly related to ampullary adenomas.Diabetes,cholecystolithiasis,chronic pancreatitis,total cholesterol,high-density lipoprotein,and apolipoprotein A were also significantly related to ampullary cancer.CONCLUSION:Some metabolic syndrome components and medical conditions are potential risk factors for the development of ampullary tumors.Cholelithiasis,diabetes,and apolipoprotein A may contribute to the malignant transformation of benign ampullary adenomas into ampullary cancer. AIM: To evaluate the risk factors for ampullary adenoma and ampullary cancer. METHODS: This case-control study included ampullary tumor patients referred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Controls were randomly selected from an existing database of healthy individuals at the Health Screening Center of the same hospital. Data on metabolic syndromes, medical conditions, and family history were collected by retrospective review of the patients’records and health examination reports, or by interview .RESULTS: A total of 181 patients and 905 age-and sex-matched controls were enrolled. We found that a history of diabetes, cholecystolithiasis, low-density lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein A were significantly related to ampullary adenomas. Diabetes, cholecystolithiasis, chronic pancreatitis, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein A were also significantly related to ampullary cancer. CONCLUSION: Some metabolic syndrome components and medical conditions are potential risk factors fo r the development of ampullary tumors. Cholelithiasis, diabetes, and apolipoprotein A may contribute to the malignant transformation of benign ampullary adenomas into ampullary cancer.