Endogenous androgens and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
Few epidemiologic studies have examined the hypothesis that circulating androgens are involved in the development of ovarian cancer. We investigated the association between prediagnostic serum levels of androgens and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and ovarian cancer risk in a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. One hundred and ninety-two ovarian cancer cases and 346 matched controls not using exogenous hormones at baseline blood donation were eligible for the study. Serum levels of testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and SHBG were measured by direct immunoassays. Free testosterone (fT) was calculated according to mass action laws. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios adjusted for possible confounders. Overall, there was no association between serum concentrations of androgens or SHBG and ovarian cancer risk. In postmenopausal women, fT concentrations were inversely related to risk [highest versus lowest tertile odds ratio 0.45 (0.24-0.86); P(trend) = 0.01]. Among women diagnosed before the age of 55 years, there was a negative association with SHBG and a positive association with fT and ovarian cancer risk, although these associations were not statistically significant. The present study suggests that circulating androgens and SHBG levels are not strongly associated with ovarian cancer risk, although levels of fT may be associated with an increased risk among women diagnosed at relatively young age. The heterogeneity of results on the associations of fT with ovarian cancer risk in postmenopausal women deserves further investigation.
Rinaldi
Sabina
S
IARC, Lyon, France.
Dossus
Laure
L
Lukanova
Annekatrin
A
Peeters
Petra H M
PH
Allen
Naomi E
NE
Key
Timothy
T
Bingham
Sheila
S
Khaw
Kay-Tee
KT
Trichopoulos
Dimitrios
D
Trichopoulou
Antonia
A
Oikonomou
Eleni
E
Pera
Guillem
G
Larrañaga
Nerea
N
Martinez-Garcia
Carmen
C
Ardanaz
Eva
E
Quirós
J Ramón
JR
Tormo
María-José
MJ
Tjønneland
Anne
A
Olsen
Anja
A
Overvad
Kim
K
Chang-Claude
Jenny
J
Linseisen
Jakob
J
Schulz
Mandy
M
Boeing
Heiner
H
van Gils
Carla H
CH
Bueno-de-Mesquita
Bas H
BH
Pala
Valeria
V
Palli
Domenico
D
Panico
Salvatore
S
Tumino
Rosario
R
Vineis
Paolo
P
Clavel-Chapelon
Françoise
F
Mesrine
Sylvie
S
Boutron-Ruault
Marie-Christine
MC
Lundin
Eva
E
Agren
Asa
A
Berglund
Göran
G
Manjer
Jonas
J
Kumle
Merethe
M
Lund
Eiliv
E
Slimani
Nadia
N
Saracci
Rodolfo
R
Riboli
Elio
E
Kaaks
Rudolf
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate