MODERATE ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND THE RISK OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

In a multicenter case-control study that included 400 cases and 297 co ntrols, we examined the relation of moderate alcohol consumption to ri sk of endometrial cancer. We estimated average weekly intake of alcoho l during adulthood from the reported frequency of intake of beer, wine , and liquor. The relative risk of endometrial cancer was 0.82 (95% co nfidence interval = 0.6-1.2) among women who drank, compared with life long abstainers. The weak protective effect of alcohol was due to a st ronger inverse association among young women (<55 years). In young wom en, the age-adjusted relative risks for three levels of drinking (<1, 1-4, >4 drinks per week), from lowest to highest, were 0.78, 0.64, and 0.41 compared with nondrinkers. The risk estimates were not materiall y altered after adjustment for a variety of factors related to alcohol intake and to low risk of the disease (for example, smoking, oral con traceptive use, low body mass index, increased physical activity). The protective effect of alcohol could not be attributed to one particula r type of alcohol-containing beverage, but beer appeared to have the m ost pronounced effect. These results suggest an inverse association be tween moderate alcohol consumption and endometrial cancer risk among y oung women, but support for a causal association is qualified and requ ires confirmation.