Racial differences in ovarian cancer risk.
We examined whether the previously observed lower risk of ovarian cancer among African-American women might be the result of differences in known risk factors. In a population-based, case-control study, sociodemographic, reproductive, and physical risk factors among white (669) and African-American (84) women aged 20 through 69 years with a recent diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (study subjects) were compared with white (1110) and African-American (204) community control subjects. African-American women were more likely to have five or more pregnancies and to have a hysterectomy, whereas white women were more likely to have a family history of ovarian cancer. Yet, the risk and protective factors for ovarian cancer were similar among white and African-American women. As compared with white women, the odds of ovarian cancer among African-American women was significantly lower (odds ratio 0.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5 to 0.9) and remained somewhat lower after adjusting for known, important risk factors (odds ratio 0.8, 95% CI 0.6 to 1.0). Differences in the obstetric and gynecologic experiences of African-American and white women may explain some of the observed racial variability in ovarian cancer risk, but ovarian cancer risk remained lower among African-American women even after adjustment for these factors.
Ness
R B
RB
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
Grisso
J A
JA
Klapper
J
J
Vergona
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003691:Delaware / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D001741:Black or African American