Health
Cigarettes and alcohol no effect on ovarian cancer risk
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 11, 2008
A new study has found that cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption do not have an effect on ovarian cancer risk, while caffeine intake may lower the risk, particularly in women not using hormones. The study was published online Jan. 22 and will be in the March 1 Cancer.
Earlier studies have assessed the risk carried by these variables and generated conflicting results so researchers at Harvard University reviewed data from the long-running Nurses' Health Study, which includes more than 120,000 female nurses.
They prospectively examined associations between smoking and ovarian cancer among 110,454 women and between alcohol or caffeine and ovarian cancer risk among 80,253 women, all of whom were followed from June 1, 1976 to June 1, 2004.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/02/11/hlbf0211.htm.