title: A case-control study of asthma and ovarian cancer.
abstract: Epidemiologic studies have found inverse associations between allergy and the development of certain tumors. The authors sought to determine if there was an association between asthma and ovarian cancer. A case-control study was conducted using Florida hospital data (year 2001). Discharge diagnoses were coded using the ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification). Cases were 1,582 women whose principal discharge diagnosis was a malignant neoplasm of the ovary. Two control series were used: 4,744 women whose principal diagnosis was an upper limb bone fracture, and 21,830 women whose principal diagnosis was an acute myocardial infarction. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, race-ethnicity, Medicaid status, obesity, and smoking were calculated. Cases were 30% less likely than fracture control to be asthmatics (adjusted OR = 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-0.99, p = .04). Similarly, cases when compared to acute myocardial infarction controls were significantly less likely to have asthma (adjusted OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.45-0.87, p = .005). The results of this statewide exploratory study suggest that individuals with asthma may have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer than nonasthmatics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, El Paso, Texas Cancer Research Training Award Fellow, National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI), Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Wafic M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Elmasri
authors.forename: Therese H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Zuber D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Mulla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult