REPRODUCTIVE VARIABLES, TOBACCO, ETHANOL, COFFEE AND SOMATOMETRY AS RISK-FACTORS FOR OVARIAN-CANCER

A hospital-based case-control study of ovarian cancer was conducted in Athens from 1989 to 1991. The cases were 189 women, residents of Grea ter Athens and less than 75 years old, with histologically confirmed c ommon malignant epithelial tumors of the ovary, operated in the 2 majo r cancer hospitals of the Greater Athens area. Controls were women res idents of Greater Athens, less than 75 years old, who had never had ca ncer or had an ovary removed and who had visited patients hospitalized in the same wards as the ovarian cancer cases at the same time. The d ata were analyzed by modeling through multiple logistic regression. St atistically significant associations were found with induced menopause without oophorectomy [relative risk (RR) 0.17; 95% confidence interva l (CI) 0.04 to 0.72], age at menopause (for an increment of 5 years RR 1.42; CI 1.00 to 2.0 1), hormone-replacement therapy (RR 5.73; CI 1.0 7 to 30.80), parity (RR 0.48; CI 0.24-0.96) and, marginally, age at fi rst birth (for an increment of 5 years RR 1.30; CI 0.99 to 1.70). Non- significant but previously suggested or biologically plausible associa tions were noted with use of oral contraceptives (inverse), weight bef ore onset of the disease (positive), and consumption of more than 2 gl asses of alcoholic drinks per day (positive). There were no consistent associations with coffee, tobacco, moderate alcohol intake, broad occ upational group, induced abortions, or age at menarche. (C) 1993 Wiley -Liss, Inc.