Alcoholism and risk for endometrial cancer

Endogenous estrogens increase the risk of endometrial cancer and are also e levated among women with high alcoholic intake. It is incompletely known, h owever, whether alcohol intake in general and alcohol abuse in particular i ncreases risk for endometrial cancer. We thus analyzed prospectively the ri sk for endometrial cancer among 36,856 women hospitalized with alcoholism b etween 1965 and 1994 through linkages between several national Swedish regi sters. Compared with the general population, women who were alcoholics had an overall 24% lower risk of developing endometrial cancer, a finding chall enging our a priori hypothesis. However, among women below the age of 50 ye ars at followup, the mean age of menopause among Swedish women, the risk wa s 70% higher, whereas the risk among women aged 50 years or more at follow- up was 40% lower compared with the general population. Hence, the effect of alcoholism on endometrial cancer appears to be age dependent. (C) 2001 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.