Alcohol consumption and the risk of borderline and invasive ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the hypothesis that alcohol consumption is associated with the risk of ovarian cancer by conducting a population-based, case-control study in Hawaii and Los Angeles, California.


METHODS
In-person interviews were obtained from 558 women with ovarian cancer and 607 population controls regarding lifetime alcohol consumption and other factors that may be related to the development of ovarian cancer.


RESULTS
We found no overall association of alcohol drinking with the odds ratios (OR) for ovarian cancer. However, current alcohol drinkers, but not former drinkers, had a significantly lower OR for ovarian cancer compared with never drinkers (OR 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50, 0.96). Odds ratios for ovarian cancer associated with the current consumption of beer, wine, and spirits were also reduced, but were only significant for wine drinkers. Among current wine drinkers, women who drank red wine had a significantly reduced OR for ovarian cancer compared with never drinkers (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.39, 0.94). The inverse association of current alcohol drinking with the OR for ovarian cancer was restricted to invasive tumors, especially the endometrioid cell type. The number of glasses of alcohol consumed on a weekly basis was inversely related to the OR for invasive ovarian cancer (P =.009): Current drinkers consuming 14 or more drinks per week had an OR of 0.36 (95% CI 0.19, 0.70) compared with never drinkers. A significantly increased risk of borderline serous tumors was associated with the use of spirits (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.46, 4.85). The risk for borderline mucinous tumors was also significantly elevated for former wine drinkers.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the association of alcohol consumption with the OR for ovarian cancer may vary by alcohol type, tumor invasiveness, and histology.
Goodman
Marc T
MT
Cancer Etiology Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA. marc@crch.hawaii.edu
Tung
Ko Hui
KH
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors