title: Risk factors for benign ovarian teratomas.
abstract: Risk factors for benign ovarian teratomas have been analysed in a case-control study conducted in Milan. Cases were women aged less than 65 years with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of benign ovarian teratoma who were admitted to a network of Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments in Milan. A total of 77 women aged 16-64 years were interviewed. Controls were women admitted to hospital for acute, non-gynaecological, non-hormonal and non-neoplastic diseases; 231 controls were interviewed (age range 15-64 years). Cases tended to be more educated: in comparison with women with less than 7 years of education, the estimated relative risk (RR) of ovarian benign teratoma was 1.6 and 2.5 respectively in women with 7-11 and 12 or more years of schooling, the trend in risk being statistically significant (chi 2(1) trend 5.39, P < 0.01). Four of the 77 cases (5.2%) and two of the 231 controls (0.9%) reported a history of infertility, with a corresponding RR of 8.3 (95% confidence interval 1.3-54.0). There was no clear relation between parity and risk of ovarian benign teratomas: in comparison with nulliparae, the estimated RRs were 1.1 and 0.7 respectively in women reporting one or two or more births (chi 2(1) trend 0.53, P = not significant). No relation emerged between marital status, age at menarche, menstrual cycle pattern, menopausal status, abortions, age at first pregnancy, oral contraceptive use and risk of ovarian benign teratomas.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Richerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parazzini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moroni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012098:Reproduction; D012307:Risk Factors; D013724:Teratoma / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral