Although reproductive factors have been shown to be related to the com
position of bile and functioning of the biliary system, their relation
ship with biliary tract cancer has not been studied in detail. Between
1984 and 1987 we conducted a case-control study of 75 women with canc
er of the biliary tract and 252 controls from the general population.
An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect informat
ion on reproductive history. The information was obtained from the res
ponders themselves (direct response) or from relatives (indirect respo
nse). Our results indicate that younger age at menarche, early age at
first pregnancy, higher number of pregnancies and prolonged fertility
may enhance the risk of cancer of the biliary tract. Overall, increase
d exposure to endogenous oestrogens and progesterone constitutes a hig
her risk. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.