Intakes of selected nutrients and food groups and risk of ovarian cancer

In a hospital-based case-control study, we examined dietary intakes of sele cted nutrients and food groups and ovarian cancer risk among 496 women with primary, histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer and 1,425 wome n with nonneoplastic diagnoses, ages 20-87 years, admitted to Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1998. Data on diet and other relevant ris k factors in the few years before admission were collected with a se admini stered questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) we re estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusting for age, educat ion, region of residence, regularity of menstruation, family. history of ov arian cancer, parity, age at menarche, oral contraceptive use, and energy i ntake. Women in the highest vs. the lowest quartile of total energy had a w eak increase in risk (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.90-1.73). Significantly reduced risks were associated with higher intakes of dietary fiber (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.38-0.87), vitamin A (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.45-0.98), carotenoid (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.43-0.93), vitamin E (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.38-0.88), be ta -carotene (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.46-0.98), and total fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.42-0.92). Our findings suggest that a diet h igh in plant foods may be important in reducing risk of ovarian cancer.