Active and passive smoking and risk of ovarian cancer

Physical inactivity and head and neck cancer mortality

BACKGROUND

This study was performed to examine the association between adulthood recreational physical inactivity (PIA) and mortality among patients with cancers of the head and neck.

METHODS

Patients with head and neck cancer at Roswell Park between years 1990 to 1998 were included (N = 305). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to analyze the association between PIA and risk of dying.

RESULTS

There was a 1.40-fold increase in risk of dying among PIA patients, when compared to active patients with head and neck cancers (HR = 1.40, CI: 1.03-1.91). This was observed greater in PIA women (HR = 2.40, CI: 1.28-4.52), patients who were overweight/obese (HR = 1.76, CI: 1.09-2.85), patients with pharynx as the primary site (HR = 1.85, CI: 1.01-3.38), and patients with distant metastasis (HR = 5.19, CI: 1.37-19.65).

CONCLUSION

Physically inactive patients with head and neck cancers are at significantly greater risk of dying when compared to patients who are active.

Association between Cigarette Smoking and Histotype-Specific Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Review of Epidemiologic Studies

Many studies have demonstrated that smoking can influence ovarian cancer risk and survival; however, the number of studies investigating this relationship according to histologic subtypes is limited. We conducted a review of epidemiologic research that assessed the role of smoking on ovarian cancer risk and survival after diagnosis, specifically capturing studies that discerned between various histologic subtypes of this disease. In the majority of studies, current smoking was associated with increased risk of mucinous cancer. There was also evidence of a decreased risk of clear cell and endometrioid histotypes. No significant association was observed between cigarette smoking and serous cancer. In the studies investigating the relationship between smoking and survival, all the studies reported an increased risk of mortality associated with smoking. Smoking appeared to be a risk factor for both ovarian cancer risk and mortality. Future studies need to investigate further a potential link between smoking and ovarian cancer by having a better assessment of exposure to smoking and having a larger number of participants with the ability to detect associations within rare histotypes.

Lifetime physical inactivity is associated with increased risk for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

Although physical activity is a well-established risk factor for several cancer types, studies evaluating its association with lymphoma have yielded inconclusive results. In such cases where physical activity is not clearly associated with cancer risk in a dose-dependent manner, investigators have begun examining physical inactivity as an independent exposure of interest.

METHODS

Associations of self-reported, lifetime physical inactivity with risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were evaluated in a hospital-based case control study using data from the Patient Epidemiology Data System at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Participants included 87 patients with HL and 236 patients with NHL as well as 348 and 952 cancer-free controls, respectively. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were fit to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) estimating the association between physical inactivity and lymphoma risk.

RESULTS

We observed significant, positive associations between lifetime recreational physical inactivity and risk of both HL (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.15-3.15) and NHL (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.01-1.82).

CONCLUSIONS

The current analysis provides evidence for a positive association between physical inactivity and risk of both HL and NHL. These results add to a growing body of research suggesting that lifetime physical inactivity may be an important independent, modifiable behavioral risk factor for cancer.

The association of lifetime physical inactivity with head and neck cancer: a hospital-based case-control analysis

Despite mounting epidemiological evidence suggesting an inverse association between recreational physical activity and cancer risk, evidence associated with head and neck cancer is scant. We conducted a case-control analysis to examine the associations of lifetime physical inactivity with the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We utilized data from the Patient Epidemiology Data System at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). Participants included 246 patients with HNSCC and 504 cancer-free controls who received medical services at RPCI between 1990 and 1998. Participants were considered physically inactive if they did not participate in any regular, weekly recreational physical activity throughout their lifetime, prior to diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) representing the association between lifetime physical inactivity and HNSCC risk. We observed a significant positive association between recreational physical inactivity and HNSCC risk (OR = 2.73, 95% CI 1.87-3.99, p < 0.001). In subgroup analyses by body mass index (BMI) (underweight/normal-weight: OR = 3.40, 95% CI 1.89-6.12, p < 0.001; overweight/obese: OR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.43-4.02, p < 0.001) and smoking status (former smoker: OR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.89-5.14, p < 0.001; never smoker: OR = 2.71, 95% CI 1.21-6.05, p = 0.020; current smoker: OR = 1.61, 95% CI 0.66-3.95, p = 0.300), significant positive associations were also observed. Results of the current analyses suggest that lifetime physical inactivity associates with HNSCC independent of BMI. In addition, physical inactivity may be a modifiable risk factor among never smokers. These data add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that physical inactivity may be an independent risk factor for cancer.

The association of lifetime physical inactivity with bladder and renal cancer risk: A hospital-based case-control analysis

OBJECTIVES

Recreational physical inactivity has been gaining recognition as an independent epidemiological exposure of interest in relation to cancer endpoints due to evidence suggesting that it may associate with cancer independent of obesity. In the current analyses, we examined the associations of lifetime recreational physical inactivity with renal and bladder cancer risk.

METHODS

In this hospital-based case-control study, we identified N=160 renal cancer patients, N=208 bladder cancer patients, and N=766 age frequency-matched controls without cancer. Participants self-reporting never participating in any regular/weekly recreational physical activity throughout their lifetime were classified as physically inactive. Utilizing unconditional multivariable logistic regression analyses, we estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals to represent the associations between lifetime physical inactivity and renal and bladder cancer risk.

RESULTS

In multivariable logistic regression models, we observed significant positive associations between lifetime recreational physical inactivity and renal cancer and bladder cancer risk: odds ratio=1.77 (95% CI: 1.10-2.85) and odds ratio=1.73 (95% CI: 1.13-2.63), respectively. Similar associations also persisted among individuals who were not obese for both renal and bladder cancer: odds ratio=1.75 (95% CI: 1.03-2.98) and odds ratio=1.70 (95% CI: 1.08-2.69), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this case-control study, we observed evidence of a positive association between renal and bladder cancer with lifetime recreational physical inactivity. These data add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that physical inactivity may be an important independent risk factor for cancer. However, additional studies using a larger sample and prospectively collected data are needed to substantiate the current findings.

Cigarette smoking and the association with serous ovarian cancer in African American women: African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES)

BACKGROUND

Smoking is a risk factor for mucinous ovarian cancer (OvCa) in Caucasians. Whether a similar association exists in African Americans (AA) is unknown.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based case-control study of incident OvCa in AA women across 11 geographic locations in the US. A structured telephone interview asked about smoking, demographic, health, and lifestyle factors. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) were estimated from 613 cases and 752 controls using unconditional logistic regression in multivariable adjusted models.

RESULTS

Associations were greater in magnitude for serous OvCa than for all OvCa combined. Compared to never smokers, increased risk for serous OvCa was observed for lifetime ever smokers (1.46, 1.11-1.92), former smokers who quit within 0-2 years of diagnosis (5.48, 3.04-9.86), and for total pack-years smoked among lifetime ever smokers (0-5 pack-years: 1.79, 1.23-2.59; >5-20 pack-years: 1.52, 1.05-2.18; >20 pack-years: 0.98, 0.61-1.56); however, we observed no dose-response relationship with increasing duration or consumption and no significant associations among current smokers. Smoking was not significantly associated with mucinous OvCa. Associations for all OvCa combined were consistently elevated among former smokers. The proportion of ever smokers who quit within 0-2 years was greater among cases (23%) than controls (7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Cigarette smoking may be associated with serous OvCa among AA, which differs from associations reported among Caucasians. Exposure misclassification or reverse causality may partially explain the absence of increased risk among current smokers and lack of dose-response associations. Better characterization of smoking patterns is needed in this understudied population.

Impact of Physical Inactivity on Risk of Developing Cancer of the Uterine Cervix: A Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated whether physical inactivity was associated with risk of cervical cancer in women treated at an American cancer hospital.

METHODS

This case-control study included 128 patients with cervical cancer and 512 controls matched on age. Controls were women suspected of having but not ultimately diagnosed with a neoplasm. Physical inactivity was defined in accordance with the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Thus, participants reporting, on average, no moderate or vigorous recreational physical activity were classified as inactive. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Compared with noncancer controls, those with cervical cancer had significantly increased odds of reporting abstinence from recreational physical activity (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.56-3.80). No association was noted between occupational-related physical inactivity and cervical cancer (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.58-1.36).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that abstinence from regular recreational physical activity is associated with increased odds of cervical cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first US-based study examining these associations. Given the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, this study has identified yet another potential public health benefit to regular physical activity. Further investigation is needed using a larger sample and prospectively collected data to characterize dose of activity to mitigate risk and the optimal window of susceptibility.

Epidemiological evidence on environmental tobacco smoke and cancers other than lung or breast

We reviewed 87 epidemiological studies relating environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure to risk of cancer other than lung or breast in never smoking adults. This updates a 2002 review which also considered breast cancer. Meta-analysis showed no significant relationship with ETS for nasopharynx cancer, head and neck cancer, various digestive cancers (stomach, rectum, colorectal, liver, pancreas), or cancers of endometrium, ovary, bladder and brain. For some cancers (including oesophagus, colon, gall bladder and lymphoma) more limited data did not suggest a relationship. An increased cervix cancer risk (RR 1.58, 95%CI 1.29-1.93, n = 17 independent estimates), reducing to 1.29 (95%CI 1.01-1.65) after restriction to five estimates adjusting for HPV infection or sexual activity suggests a causal relationship, as do associations with nasosinus cancer observed in 2002 (no new studies since), and less so kidney cancer (RR 1.33, 95%CI 1.04-1.70, n = 6). A weaker association with total cancer (RR 1.13, 95%CI 1.03-1.35, n = 19) based on heterogeneous data is inconclusive. Inadequate confounder control, recall bias, publication bias, and occasional reports of implausibly large RRs in individual studies contribute to our conclusion that the epidemiological evidence does not convincingly demonstrate that ETS exposure causes any of the cancers studied.

Oral Contraceptive Use and Reproductive Characteristics Affect Survival in Patients With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

Prognostic risk factors influencing survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) include tumor stage, grade, histologic subtype, debulking, and platinum status. Little is known about the impact of hormonal milieu and reproductive factors before cancer diagnosis on clinical outcome. We sought to evaluate whether oral contraceptive (OC) use carries any prognostic significance on overall survival (OS) in patients with EOC.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed patients with EOC, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers between 1982 and 1998 were prospectively evaluated with a comprehensive epidemiologic questionnaire. A retrospective chart review was performed to abstract clinicopathologic data, including OS. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to compare survival across various exposures. A Cox regression model was used to compute adjusted hazards ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

We identified 387 newly diagnosed cancers with evaluable information in this cohort. Decreased risk of death was observed in women who reported prior use of OC (aHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.58-1.09), previous pregnancy (aHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.57-1.04), or a live birth (aHR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.60-1.08) after adjusting for age at diagnosis, stage, and histologic subtype. Oral contraceptive use was associated with a crude reduced risk of death (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.42-0.72), with reported median OS of 81 months in OC users versus 46 months in nonusers. Patients who reported a single live birth experienced the largest potential survival advantage (aHR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39-0.94). Oral contraceptive use and prior pregnancy were associated with improved survival across all strata.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral contraceptive use may have lasting effects on epithelial ovarian tumor characteristics conferring favorable prognosis. Putative mechanisms that affect tumor biology include complex interactions between ovarian cells, host immune cells, and hormonal microenvironment during carcinogenesis. Future efforts should be directed to determine the role of reproductive factors in antitumor immunity.

Cigarette smoking and risk of ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis of 21 case-control studies

PURPOSE

The majority of previous studies have observed an increased risk of mucinous ovarian tumors associated with cigarette smoking, but the association with other histological types is unclear. In a large pooled analysis, we examined the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer associated with multiple measures of cigarette smoking with a focus on characterizing risks according to tumor behavior and histology.

METHODS

We used data from 21 case-control studies of ovarian cancer (19,066 controls, 11,972 invasive and 2,752 borderline cases). Study-specific odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from logistic regression models and combined into a pooled odds ratio using a random effects model.

RESULTS

Current cigarette smoking increased the risk of invasive mucinous (OR = 1.31; 95 % CI: 1.03-1.65) and borderline mucinous ovarian tumors (OR = 1.83; 95 % CI: 1.39-2.41), while former smoking increased the risk of borderline serous ovarian tumors (OR = 1.30; 95 % CI: 1.12-1.50). For these histological types, consistent dose-response associations were observed. No convincing associations between smoking and risk of invasive serous and endometrioid ovarian cancer were observed, while our results provided some evidence of a decreased risk of invasive clear cell ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results revealed marked differences in the risk profiles of histological types of ovarian cancer with regard to cigarette smoking, although the magnitude of the observed associations was modest. Our findings, which may reflect different etiologies of the histological types, add to the fact that ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease.

Ovarian cancer and smoking: individual participant meta-analysis including 28,114 women with ovarian cancer from 51 epidemiological studies

Background

Smoking has been linked to mucinous ovarian cancer, but its effects on other ovarian cancer subtypes and on overall ovarian cancer risk are unclear, and the findings from most studies with relevant data are unpublished. To assess these associations, we review the published and unpublished evidence.

Methods

Eligible epidemiological studies were identified by electronic searches, review articles, and discussions with colleagues. Individual participant data for 28 114 women with and 94 942 without ovarian cancer from 51 epidemiological studies were analysed centrally, yielding adjusted relative risks (RRs) of ovarian cancer in smokers compared with never smokers.

Findings

After exclusion of studies with hospital controls, in which smoking could have affected recruitment, overall ovarian cancer incidence was only slightly increased in current smokers compared with women who had never smoked (RR 1·06, 95% CI 1·01–1·11, p=0·01). Of 17 641 epithelial cancers with specified histology, 2314 (13%) were mucinous, 2360 (13%) endometrioid, 969 (5%) clear-cell, and 9086 (52%) serous. Smoking-related risks varied substantially across these subtypes (p_{heterogeneity}<0·0001). For mucinous cancers, incidence was increased in current versus never smokers (1·79, 95% CI 1·60–2·00, p<0·0001), but the increase was mainly in borderline malignant rather than in fully malignant tumours (2·25, 95% CI 1·91–2·65 vs 1·49, 1·28–1·73; p_{heterogeneity}=0·01; almost half the mucinous tumours were only borderline malignant). Both endometrioid (0·81, 95% CI 0·72–0·92, p=0·001) and clear-cell ovarian cancer risks (0·80, 95% CI 0·65–0·97, p=0·03) were reduced in current smokers, and there was no significant association for serous ovarian cancers (0·99, 95% CI 0·93–1·06, p=0·8). These associations did not vary significantly by 13 sociodemographic and personal characteristics of women including their body-mass index, parity, and use of alcohol, oral contraceptives, and menopausal hormone therapy.

Interpretation

The excess of mucinous ovarian cancers in smokers, which is mainly of tumours of borderline malignancy, is roughly counterbalanced by the deficit of endometrioid and clear-cell ovarian cancers. The substantial variation in smoking-related risks by tumour subtype is important for understanding ovarian carcinogenesis.

Funding

Cancer Research UK and MRC.

An analysis of ovarian cancer in the Million Women Study

In a reanalysis of the Million Women Study (MWS), their authors concluded that prolonged use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women increases the risk of ovarian cancer. Although statistically significant their results are clinically irrelevant, since the attributable risk over 5 years is only 4 per 10 000 HRT users, a figure that is not confirmed by other large studies. This risk is much lower than those associated with obesity, lack of physical exercise, smoking and nulliparity, all of which are preventable. Therefore HRT should continue to be prescribed for symptom relief and improvement of quality of life because the benefits far outweigh the very low potential risks.

An ecologic study of cancer mortality rates in Spain with respect to indices of solar UVB irradiance and smoking

There is increasing evidence that vitamin D reduces the risk of many types of cancer. Geographic variations in cancer mortality rates in Spain are apparently linked to variations in solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiances and other factors. Cancer mortality rates for 48 continental Spanish provinces for 1978-1992 were used in linear regression analyses with respect to mortality rates for latitude (an index of solar UVB levels), skin cancer (an index of high cumulative UVB irradiance), melanoma (an index related to solar UV irradiance and several other factors) and lung cancer (an index of cumulative effects of smoking). The 9 cancers with mortality rates significantly correlated with latitude for 1 or both sexes were brain, gastric, melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), pancreatic, pleural, rectal and thyroid cancer. Inverse correlations with latitude were found for laryngeal, lung and uterine corpus cancer. The 17 cancers inversely correlated with NMSC are bladder, brain, breast, colon, esophageal, gallbladder, Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung, melanoma, multiple myeloma, NHL, ovarian, pancreatic, pleural, rectal, thyroid and uterine corpus cancer. The 16 correlated with melanoma are bladder, brain, breast, colon, gallbladder, leukemia, lung, multiple myeloma, NHL, ovarian, pancreatic, pleural, prostate, rectal, renal and uterine corpus cancer. The results for lung cancer were in accordance with the literature. These results provide more support for the UVB/vitamin D/cancer hypothesis and indicate a new way to investigate the role of solar UV irradiance on cancer risk. They also provide more evidence that melanoma and NMSC have different etiologies.