Dietary Habits and Risk of Ovarian Cancer Death in a Large-Scale Cohort Study (JACC Study) in Japan

Abstract:

The Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study was established in 1988–1990 and consisted of 46,465 men and 64,327 women observed until the end of 2003. A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was used as a baseline survey, and associations of dietary habits with the risk of ovarian cancer death were evaluated, taking into consideration age, menstrual and reproductive, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors. During the observation period, 77 women died of ovarian cancer. Hazard ratios for dietary factors were calculated by Cox's proportional hazards model. Being adjusted only for age, high intakes of dried or salted fish and Chinese cabbage were positively associated with the risk of ovarian cancer death, and the risk increased dose-dependently. In contrast, intake of soybean curd (tofu) was inversely associated with the risk. After being adjusted for age and potential confounding factors, the results regarding the intakes of dried or salted fish and Chinese cabbage did not change. However, the significance relating to the intake of soybean curd (tofu) was attenuated.

From the results of this cohort study, it was suggested that high intakes of dried or salted fish and Chinese cabbage were potential risk factors of ovarian cancer death. In contrast, however, a high intake of soy bean curd (tofu) might have preventive effects against the risk.

Acknowledgments and Notes

The authors wish to express their appreciation to Dr. Kunio Aoki, Professor Emeritus, Nagoya University School of Medicine and former chairman of the JACC Study Group, Dr. Yoshiyuki Ohno, former chairman of the study group, Asahi Rosai Hospital, and also Dr. Haruo Sugano, the former Director, Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, who greatly contributed to the initiation of the study. The present investigators in the JACC Study Group are as follows: Dr. A. Tamakoshi (present chairman of the study group), National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Dr. M. Mori, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Y. Motohashi, Akita University School of Medicine, Dr. K. Sakata, Iwate Medical University, Dr. I. Tsuji, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Dr. Y. Nakamura, Jichi Medical School, Dr. H. Mikami, Chiba Cancer Center, Dr. Y. Inaba, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Dr. Y. Hoshiyama, University of Human arts and Science, Dr. K. Wakai, Aichi cancer Center Research Institute, Dr. H. Suzuki, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Dr. H. Shimizu, Gifu University School of Medicine, Dr. H. Toyoshima, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Dr. S. Tokudome, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medicine, Dr. S. Hashimoto and K. Suzuki, Fujita Health University School of Medical Science, Dr. S. Kikuchi, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. A. Koizumi, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Dr. T. Kawamura, Kyoto University Health Service, Dr. Y. Watanabe, K. Ozasa and Dr. T. Miki, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Dr. H. Iso, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Dr. C. Date, Faculty of Human Life and Environment, Nara Women's University, Dr. T. Nose and Y. Kurozawa, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Y. Fujino, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Dr. T. Yoshimura, Fukuoka Institute of Occupational Health, Dr. A. Shibata, Kurume University School of Medicine Dr. N. Okamoto, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Dr. H. Shio, Moriyama Municipal Hospital, A. Yamamoto, Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment Science, Dr. T. Kitagawa, Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Dr. T. Kuroki, Gifu University, and Dr. K. Tajima, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute. The former investigators in JACC Study Group are presented as the following (affiliations are those when they participated in the study): Dr. S. Hisamichi, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Dr. T. Shimamoto, University of Tsukuba, Dr. H. Tanaka, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Dr. Y. Ito, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Dr. M. Nakao, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Dr. T. Suzuki, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Dr. T. Hashimoto, Wakayama Medical University, Dr. N. Hayakawa, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Dr. K. Fukuda, Kurume University School of Medicine, and Dr. T. Ishibashi, Asama General Hospital. This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas (2) (No. 14031221) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan. The JACC Study was also supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the same ministry (Nos. 61010076, 62010074, 63010074, 1010068, 2151065, 3151064, 4151063, 5151069, 6279102, 1181101 and 17015022).

Notes

^a : Number (%).

^b : Hazard ratio (unadjusted).

^c : Confidence interval.

^d : HR adjusted for age (category).

^a : Number (%).

^b : Hazard ratio adjusted for age.

^c : Confidence interval.

^d :Hazard ratio adjusted for age (category), menopausal status, number of pregnancies, history of sex hormone use, BMI, physical activity, and education (categories in Table 1).

∗ P value < 0.05.