Abstract
Although parity is associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer in the general population, this association among women with a family history is less clear. We examined this question in a prospective cohort of 31,377 Iowa women 55-69 years of age at baseline. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cls) were estimated through Cox regression. We identified 181 incident epithelial ovarian cancers through 13 years of follow-up. At baseline, 14% of the women reported breast or ovarian cancer in a first-degree relative, and an additional 12% reported a family history in a second-degree relative. Among women without a family history of breast or ovarian cancer in a first-degree relative, nulliparous women were at slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer (RR = 1.4, 95% Cl = 0.9-2.4) compared with parous women, whereas among women with a family history, nulliparous women were at a much higher risk (RR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1-6.6) than parous women. Similar results were seen when family history included first- or second-degree relatives with breast or ovarian cancer or a first- or second-degree relative with ovarian cancer only. Nulliparity may be more strongly associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer among women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, compared with women who do not have a family history of those cancers.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 66-71 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Epidemiology |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2002 |
Keywords
- Family history
- Ovarian cancer
- Parity
- Prospective cohort study
- Risk factors