Body Size in Early Life and Ovarian Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Baer H J, Hankinson S E, Tworoger S S
Primary Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Hypothesis
How does body size in early life relate to the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer?
Conclusion
The study suggests that body fatness during childhood may be related to the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, with varying associations based on menopausal status and age.
Supporting Evidence
- Greater body fatness during childhood was associated with decreased risk of ovarian cancer in the NHS cohort.
- Height was positively associated with ovarian cancer risk in both cohorts.
- Body mass index at age 18 and birthweight were not associated with ovarian cancer risk.
Takeaway
This study looked at how being bigger or smaller as a child might affect the chances of getting ovarian cancer when you grow up.
Methodology
The study used data from the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II, analyzing body fatness at ages 5 and 10, BMI at age 18, height, and birthweight in relation to ovarian cancer risk.
Potential Biases
Recall bias may affect the accuracy of reported childhood body size.
Limitations
The study had limited power to examine interactions or variation by histological type and relied on recall of body size in early life.
Participant Demographics
Participants were US female registered nurses, with varying menopausal statuses and ages.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Confidence Interval
0.53–1.24
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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