A pooled analysis of 12 cohort studies of dietary fat, cholesterol and egg intake and ovarian cancer.
Fat and cholesterol are theorized to promote ovarian carcinogenesis by increasing circulating estrogen levels. Although case-control studies have reported positive associations between total and saturated fat intake and ovarian cancer risk, two cohort studies have observed null associations. Dietary cholesterol and eggs have been positively associated with ovarian cancer risk. A pooled analysis was conducted on 12 cohort studies. Among 523,217 women, 2,132 incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases were identified. Study-specific relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by Cox proportional hazards models, and then pooled using a random effects model. Total fat intake was not associated with ovarian cancer risk (pooled multivariate RR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.86-1.34 comparing > or =45 to 30-<35% of calories). No association was observed for monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans-unsaturated, animal and vegetable fat, cholesterol and egg intakes with ovarian cancer risk. A weakly positive, but non-linear association, was observed for saturated fat intake (pooled multivariate RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01-1.66 comparing highest versus lowest decile). Results for histologic subtypes were similar. Overall, fat, cholesterol and egg intakes were not associated with ovarian cancer risk. The positive association for saturated fat intake at very high intakes merits further investigation.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. pooling@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
Jeanine M
JM
Genkinger
David J
DJ
Hunter
Donna
D
Spiegelman
Kristin E
KE
Anderson
W Lawrence
WL
Beeson
Julie E
JE
Buring
Graham A
GA
Colditz
Gary E
GE
Fraser
Jo L
JL
Freudenheim
R Alexandra
RA
Goldbohm
Susan E
SE
Hankinson
Karen L
KL
Koenig
Susanna C
SC
Larsson
Michael
M
Leitzmann
Marjorie L
ML
McCullough
Anthony B
AB
Miller
Carmen
C
Rodriguez
Thomas E
TE
Rohan
Julie A
JA
Ross
Arthur
A
Schatzkin
Leo J
LJ
Schouten
Ellen
E
Smit
Walter C
WC
Willett
Alicja
A
Wolk
Anne
A
Zeleniuch-Jacquotte
Shumin M
SM
Zhang
Stephanie A
SA
Smith-Warner
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004531:Eggs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012306:Risk
D004041:Dietary Fats; D002784:Cholesterol