Abstract
Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies in Korea, although the incidence has been declining in recent years. This study explored whether antioxidant vitamin intakes influenced the risk of cervical cancer. The association between antioxidant vitamin intakes and cervical cancer risk was calculated for 144 cervical cancer cases and 288 age-matched, hospital-based controls using unconditional logistic regression models. Cases reported statistically lower mean dietary intakes of vitamin A, β -carotene, and vitamin C than did controls. Total intakes of vitamins A and E, which included both dietary and supplement intake, were also lower in cases. Those patients in the highest quartiles of dietary vitamin A, β -carotene, and vitamin C intakes had statistically significantly lower cervical cancer risks than those in the lowest quartiles for vitamin A, β -carotene, and vitamin C: odds ratio (OR) = 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.19–0.69), OR = 0.48 (CI = 0.26–0.88), and OR = 0.36 (CI = 0.18–0.69), respectively. Total intakes of vitamins A, C, and E were strongly inversely associated with cervical cancer risk: OR = 0.35 (CI = 0.19–0.65), OR = 0.35 (CI = 0.19–0.66), and OR = 0.53 (CI = 0.28–0.99), respectively. The findings support a role for increased antioxidant vitamin intake in decreasing the risk of cervical cancer. These associations need to be assessed in large prospective studies with long-term follow-up.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was supported by a Korean Research Foundation grant (2005-C00517).
Notes
a Abbreviations are as follows: BMI, body mass index; HPV, human papillomavirus.
a Abbreviation is as follows: RE, retinol equivalents.
b Total vitamins intake from dietary and supplement source.
a Abbreviations are as follows: Q, quartile; ref, reference; RE, retinol equivalents.
b Nutrients are energy adjusted by residual method.
c The quartiles of nutrient intakes are based on the distribution of values among controls.
d Adjusted for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption status, exercise, family history, body mass index, and human papillomavirus infection status.
e Tests for linear trend are based on continuous variables.
f Total vitamins intake from dietary and supplement source.