Fiber intake and endometrial cancer risk.
BACKGROUND
The epidemiological evidence on the relation between dietary fiber intake and endometrial cancer is contradictory. Consequently, a case-control study was carried out to further investigate the role of dietary fiber intake in the etiology of endometrial cancer.


METHODS
Cases were 454 women with incident, histologically confirmed, endometrial cancer admitted to major teaching and general hospitals. Controls were 908 women admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions to the same hospital network. Information on diet was elicited using a validated food frequency questionnaire.


RESULTS
Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for quintiles of various types of fiber were estimated after allowance for total energy intake and other potential confounding factors. Lignin intake was significantly inversely related to endometrial cancer (OR=0.6 for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake; 95%CI: 0.4-0.9) with a slightly significant linear trend in risk (p-value=0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Data suggest the potential importance of lignin in the prevention of endometrial cancer at Italian consumption levels.
Struttura Operativa Complessa di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, PN, Italy. epidemiology@cro.it
Ettore
E
Bidoli
Claudio
C
Pelucchi
Antonella
A
Zucchetto
Eva
E
Negri
Luigino
L
Dal Maso
Jerry
J
Polesel
Maurizio
M
Montella
Silvia
S
Franceschi
Diego
D
Serraino
Carlo
C
La Vecchia
Renato
R
Talamini
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001682:Biological Availability; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002523:Edible Grain; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008031:Lignin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018401:Sample Size; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables
D004043:Dietary Fiber; D008031:Lignin