title: Long-term dietary heme iron and red meat intake in relation to endometrial cancer risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heme and total iron, present in meat, have been hypothesized to promote carcinogenesis. Few prospective studies have examined the associations between intakes of heme and total iron, types of meat, and endometrial cancer risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the associations between intakes of heme and total iron, types of meat, and risk of endometrial cancer in a large cohort of women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 60,895 women in the Swedish Mammography Cohort, 720 endometrial cancer cases were confirmed during 21 y of follow-up. RRs and 95% CIs were calculated by Cox proportional hazards models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A comparison of the highest with the lowest quartile showed a 20-30% higher risk of endometrial cancer for higher intakes of heme iron (RR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.53 for ≥1.63 compared with <0.69 mg/d), total iron (RR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.61 for ≥15.09 compared with <12.27 mg/d), and liver (RR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.56 for ≥100 compared with <100 g/wk). No statistically significant associations were observed between intakes of red and processed meats and endometrial cancer risk. RRs did not greatly differ when we stratified by BMI, parity, and intakes of alcohol, vitamin C, or zinc or when we excluded patients with diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests a modest positive association between heme iron, total iron, and liver intakes and endometrial cancer risk; no statistically significant associations were observed for intakes of other red and processed meats and endometrial cancer risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. jg3081@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Jeanine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Genkinger
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Friberg
authors.forename: R Alexandra
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Goldbohm
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolk
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006418:Heme / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D008461:Meat Products / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary; D006418:Heme