Food groups and endometrial cancer risk: a case-control study from Italy

OBJECTIVE: Although several studies have been conducted on the relation between dietary habits and endometrial cancer risk, the evidence for specific food groups is still controversial. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from an Italian case-control study including 454 women with histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and 908 controls admitted to the same hospitals for acute, nonneoplastic conditions. Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) were obtained after allowance for major potential confounding factors. RESULTS: A significant increase in risk was observed for red meat, with an OR of 2.07 for an increment of 1 serving per day. Inverse associations were observed for coffee (OR, 0.83), cereals (OR, 0.92), and vegetables (OR, 0.83). CONCLUSION: Our results support the existence of a relation between dietary habits and endometrial cancer risk and in particular suggest that a diet rich in red meat and poor in vegetables may have an unfavorable effect.