title: Obesity, weight gain, and ovarian cancer risk in African American women.
abstract: Although there is growing evidence that higher adiposity increases ovarian cancer risk, little is known about its impact in African American (AA) women, the racial/ethnic group with the highest prevalence of obesity. We evaluated the impact of body mass index (BMI) 1 year before diagnosis and weight gain since age 18 years on ovarian cancer risk in a population-based case-control study in AA women in 11 geographical areas in the US. Cases (n = 492) and age and site matched controls (n = 696) were identified through rapid case ascertainment and random-digit-dialing, respectively. Information was collected on demographic and lifestyle factors, including self-reported height, weight at age 18 and weight 1 year before diagnosis/interview. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for potential covariates. Obese women had elevated ovarian cancer risk, particularly for BMI ≥ 40 kg/m(2) compared to BMI <25 (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.12-2.66; p for trend: 0.03). There was also a strong association with weight gain since age 18 (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.07-2.16; p for trend: 0.02) comparing the highest to lowest quartile. In stratified analyses by menopausal status, the association with BMI and weight gain was limited to postmenopausal women, with a 15% (95% CI: 1.05-1.23) increase in risk per 5 kg/m(2) of BMI and 6% (95% CI: 1.01-1.10) increase in risk per 5 kg of weight gain. Excluding hormone therapy users essentially did not change results. Obesity and excessive adult weight gain may increase ovarian cancer risk in post-menopausal AA women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Science, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ.
authors.forename: Elisa V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Bandera
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Science, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Patricia G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Moorman
authors.affiliation: Hollings Cancer Center and Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Alberg
authors.affiliation: Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Jill S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Barnholtz-Sloan
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bondy
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.
authors.forename: Michele L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cote
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Funkhouser
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Public Health, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Edward S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.
authors.forename: Ann G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: Departments of Public Health and Surgery, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.
authors.forename: Joellen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schildkraut
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: African American; obesity; ovarian cancer; weight gain