Association between components of the insulin-like growth factor system and endometrial cancer risk.
OBJECTIVE
The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system has been related to cell proliferation, obesity, diabetes, hyperinsulinemia and endometrial cancer risk. We used data from a case-control study conducted in Italy to provide additional information on the relation between the IGF system and endometrial cancer.


METHODS
A case-control study was conducted between 1999 and 2002 in Italy, including a total of 73 women with incident, histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and 108 controls admitted to the same hospital network for acute, nonneoplastic diseases. All subjects were interviewed using a validated questionnaire.


RESULTS
The odds ratios for endometrial cancer comparing the highest versus the lowest tertile of various IGF components were as follows: 0.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2-1.2] for free IGF-I, 1.1 (95% CI 0.5-2.6) for total IGF-I, 1.2 (95% CI 0.6-2.6) for total IGF-II, 2.4 (95% CI 1.0-5.9) for IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-1 and 0.8 (95% CI 0.4-2.0) for IGFBP-3. Further allowance for all IGF components in the model did not modify the results. The direct relation with IGFBP-1 was stronger and limited to heavier and older women.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest a limited effect of the IGF system on endometrial cancer risk. Increasing IGFBP-1 levels seem to be associated with endometrial cancer risk in older women and in women with a higher body mass index.
Servizio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Aviano, Italy.
Livia S A
LS
Augustin
Luigino
L
Dal Maso
Silvia
S
Franceschi
Renato
R
Talamini
Cyril W C
CW
Kendall
David J A
DJ
Jenkins
Ed
E
Vidgen
Carlo
C
La Vecchia
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000378:metabolism; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D013002:Somatomedins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II