OBESITY AND OVARIAN CANCER

Women who are severely overweight face an increased risk for endometrial cancer and post-menopausal breast cancer. Are they also more likely than normal-weight women to develop ovarian cancer?

A study analysed data on 94,525 women averaged about 62 years old at the start of the study. About a third of the women who were overweight, and about a forth were obese.

In a seven-year span, ovarian cancer was diagnosed in 303 of the women.

Among those who had never taken hormone theraphy after menopause, obese women were 80% more likely to have ovarian cancer than were normal-weight women. No relationship between weight and ovarian cancer was found in women who had taken menopausal hormones at some point.

Who may be affected? Older women who are severyly overweight.

Ovarian cancer, which most often affects women 55 and older, has a five-year survival rate of just 45%-in part becaus it often is not detected until it has spread beyond the ovary.

Caveats: Women in the study reported their own weights. Nearly in the study reported their own weights. Nearly all participants were white; whether the findings apply to other races is unclear.

You can find this study in the Jan 6 online issue of cancer. Learn more about ovarian cancer at www.cancer.org and www.cancer.gov.

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