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News
Chronic Inflammation Not Seen Important in Development of Ovarian Cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 02 - Results of a study published in the January issue of the International Journal of Cancer suggest that most factors that could cause ovarian inflammation are not associated with a significantly increased risk of ovarian cancer.
"Chronic inflammation was first invoked as a possible mechanism leading to the development of epithelial ovarian cancer to explain observed associations between certain factors, such as use of talcum powder in the perineal region or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and risk of ovarian cancer," Dr. Penelope M. Webb and colleagues write. "The major mechanisms thought to underlie ovarian carcinogenesis, namely increased pituitary gonadotropins or incessant ovulation, do not explain such associations."
The researchers, from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia, examined factors potentially linked to ovarian inflammation, including talcum powder use, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), in 1576 women with invasive and low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian tumors and 1509 population-based controls.
The use of talcum powder in the pelvic region was associated with a significant increase in the risk of all types of ovarian cancer combined (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.17). The increased risk was strongest for serous and endometrioid tumors although it was only statistically significant for serous tumors (OR = 1.21 and 1.18, respectively).
No associations were observed between PID, HPV infection, or mumps and the risk of ovarian cancer overall.
"A reported history of genital herpes was not associated with the risk of all subtypes of ovarian cancer combined (OR = 1.17)," Dr. Webb's team reports. "However, a significant positive association was seen with risk of serous tumors, with similar nonsignificant increases observed for both invasive and LMP serous tumors."
As in other studies, a history of endometriosis was associated with an increased risk of endometrioid and clear cell subtypes (OR = 1.85 and 2.66, respectively).
"Overall we conclude that chronic inflammation does not play a major role in the development of ovarian cancer," the investigators state.
Int J Cancer 2008;122:170-176.
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