OVARIAN-CANCER RISK AND HISTORY OF SELECTED MEDICAL CONDITIONS LINKEDWITH FEMALE HORMONES

To investigate the role of selected medical conditions on the risk of ovarian cancer, we analysed data from a case-control study. Cases were 971 women below the age of 75 years with histologically confirmed epi thelial ovarian cancer, admitted to a network of hospitals including t he major teaching and general hospitals in the greater Milan area. Con trols were 2758 women admitted to the same network of hospitals for ac ute, non-gynaecological, non-hormone related, non-neoplastic condition s. Obesity/severe overweight were inversely associated with the risk o f ovarian cancer (multivariate relative risk, RR, 0.66, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.52-0.85). Hyperlipidaemia was also inversely related to ovarian cancer risk, (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.45-0.89). No relationship e merged between ovarian cancer risk and diabetes (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.54- 1.19), hypertension (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.68-1.06), thyroid diseases (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.63-1.13) and cholelithiasis (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.66-1.12) . A decreased frequency of ovarian cancer was seen in women with a his tory of uterine leiomyomas (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47-0.92) and benign ovar ian cysts (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.41-1.13). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.