title: African Americans and Hispanics Remain at Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer Than Non-Hispanic Whites after Considering Nongenetic Risk Factors and Oophorectomy Rates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Risk factors for invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (IEOC) among Hispanics and African Americans are understudied despite notable differences in incidence relative to non-Hispanic whites.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used multivariate logistic regression to examine parity, oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, endometriosis, family history of ovarian cancer, and talc use and risk of IEOC among Hispanics (308 cases and 380 controls), African Americans (128 cases and 143 controls), and non-Hispanic whites (1,265 cases and 1,868 controls) using four case-control studies we conducted in Los Angeles County. We expressed each of these factors in the form of increasing risk and calculated population attributable risk percentage (PAR%) estimates for the six risk factors separately and jointly in the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk associations with these six well-accepted factors were comparable in the three groups. The significant racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of these factors and differences in their oophorectomy rates explained 31% of the lower incidence in African Americans compared with non-Hispanic whites, but only 13% of the lower incidence in Hispanics. The PAR%s ranged from 27.5% to 31.0% for no tubal ligation, 15.9% to 22.2% for not using oral contraceptives, and 12.2% to 15.1% for using talc in the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All six risk factors are comparably important in the three groups. Differences in the prevalence of these factors and their oophorectomy rates explained approximately one third of the difference in incidence between African Americans and non-Hispanic whites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Devising strategies to lessen the burden of IEOC will be applicable to all three racial/ethnic groups.
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. annawu@usc.edu.
authors: Anna H
authors: AH
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors: Celeste L
authors: CL
authors: Pearce
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
authors: Chiu-Chen
authors: CC
authors: Tseng
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors: Malcolm C
authors: MC
authors: Pike
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000639:trends*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018426:SEER Program; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult