Fiber intake and endometrial cancer risk

Abstract

Background. The epidemiological evidence on the relation between dietary fiber intake and endometrial cancer is contradictory. Consequently, a case-control study was carried out to further investigate the role of dietary fiber intake in the etiology of endometrial cancer. Material and methods. Cases were 454 women with incident, histologically confirmed, endometrial cancer admitted to major teaching and general hospitals. Controls were 908 women admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions to the same hospital network. Information on diet was elicited using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Results. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for quintiles of various types of fiber were estimated after allowance for total energy intake and other potential confounding factors. Lignin intake was significantly inversely related to endometrial cancer (OR=0.6 for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake; 95%CI: 0.4–0.9) with a slightly significant linear trend in risk (p-value=0.04). Discussion. Data suggest the potential importance of lignin in the prevention of endometrial cancer at Italian consumption levels.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mrs. O. Volpato for study coordination, and Mrs. L. Mei and Mrs. I. Calderan for editorial assistance. The work of this paper was undertaken while CLV was a Senior Fellow at the International Agency for Research on Cancer. We are deeply thankful to Drs. R. Mele, L. Forner, S. Cametti, and E. Trevisanutto for providing hospital control patients, and to Dr. E. Campagnutta for providing endometrial cancer cases.

The contributions of the Italian Association for Research on Cancer and of the Italian League against Cancer are gratefully acknowledged. There are no conflicts of interest to be declared.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.