Biomedical subjects

Elisabete Weiderpass

Publications and source records attributed to Elisabete Weiderpass.

59 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Dietary factors in relation to endometrial cancer: a nationwide case-control study in Sweden.

The incidence of endometrial cancer varies up to 10-fold between high- and low-incidence regions, suggesting the importance of environmental factors, including diet, in the etiology of this disease. However, few studies have examined the role of diet in the etiology of endometrial cancer. Using unconditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), we analyzed data from a large, case-control study of Swedish-born postmenopausal women aged 50-74 yr (709 cases and 2,887 controls) residing in Sweden between 1994 and 1995. We found no clear association between foods or food groups and endometrial cancer risk, although high consumption of certain foods, such as Brassica vegetables, coffee, and legumes, might be associated with small-to-moderate reduced risks of endometrial cancer, while red meat consumption might be associated with a small-to-moderate increased risk. Daily use of calcium supplements appeared to lower endometrial cancer risk (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3-0.9, P for trend = 0.04), especially among women with low calcium intake from dairy products. On the other hand, the use of iron supplements appeared to increase the risk (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.9-3.3, P for trend = 0.03). The findings are discussed with respect to previous studies and the possible underlying mechanisms.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Fatty fish consumption lowers the risk of endometrial cancer: a nationwide case-control study in Sweden.

The consumption of fatty fish, which contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, may lower the risk of hormone-responsive cancers. Our aim was to study the association of fish consumption and endometrial cancer risk in Sweden, a country with a wide range of high fatty fish consumption. Using data from a large, nationwide case-control study (709 cases and 2888 controls), we analyzed consumption of both fatty (e.g., salmon and herring) and lean (e.g., cod and flounder) fish in relation to endometrial cancer risk, adjusting estimates for a wide range of potentially confounding variables. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed from unconditional logistic regression models fit by maximum likelihood methods. Consumption of fatty fish was inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk. The multivariate OR for women in the highest quartile level (median, 2.0 servings per week), compared to women with in the lowest (median, 0.2 servings per week), was 0.6 (95% CI, 0.5-0.8; P for trend, 0.0002). The corresponding OR for women in the highest quartile level of lean fish (median, 2.5 servings per week), compared to women in the lowest (median, 0.6 servings per week), was 1.0 (95% CI, 0.8-1.3; P-value for trend, 0.72). Total fish consumption was inversely associated with risk, although weakly. Our results suggest that the consumption of fatty fish, but not other types of fish, may decrease the risk of endometrial cancer.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2002

Use of oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk: The Norwegian-Swedish Women's Lifestyle and Health Cohort Study.

Current use of oral contraceptives (OCs) has been reported to increase breast cancer risk slightly. In 1991/1992, a prospective cohort study specifically designed to examine the role of hormonal contraceptives in relation to breast cancer was conducted in Norway and Sweden. This study was entitled Women's Lifestyle and Health. Of 196,000 invited women aged 30-49 years, 106,844 women answered a 4-page questionnaire. Altogether, 103,027 women providing information on contraceptive use were included in the analysis presented here, and 1,008 primary invasive breast cancers were diagnosed throughout 1999 (end of follow-up). Proportional hazard regression was used to calculate relative risks (RRs) with adjustment for age and other possible confounders. An increased breast cancer risk was observed among women who were current/recent users of OCs of any type at the start of follow-up [RR, 1.6; 96% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-2.1]. Current/recent use (i.e., use in the year preceding cohort enrolment) of combined OCs (RR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0) and progestin-only pills (RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.4) entailed similar levels of increased risk. An increased risk of borderline significance was found among short-term (i.e., less than 13 months) users before age 20 years (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.7) and before first full-term pregnancy (RR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0-1.8). Long-term users of OCs were at a higher risk of breast cancer than never users (test for trend, P = 0.005). Current/recent use of OCs is associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Use of combined OCs and progestin-only pills seem to increase the risk at the same level.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hormone replacement therapy for symptoms but not for chemoprevention of chronic diseases.

A little dust has settled since last year's news from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized trial about the use of combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during and after menopause: long-term use may increase a woman's chances of becoming chronically ill (Women's Health Initiative Investigators, 2002). In none of the three age-groups studied (women in their 50s, 60s and 70s) was the presumed cardioprotective effect of HRT confirmed, and in all age groups, the hormone users had more heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots than the control as well as more breast cancer. The placebo arm (women not receiving HRT) had more fractures and more cases of colon cancer than the hormone users, but on balance, the non-users still had fewer serious adverse health effects. The WHI estrogen and progestin arm was prematurely stopped in July 2002 because the overall risks of the intervention outweighed the benefits (Women's Health Initiative Investigators, 2002).

Age Distribution↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Screening for colorectal cancer. Collaboration among politicians and scientists is necessary].

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the western world. It is especially common in the Nordic countries. In many of the European countries and in the United States colonoscopy is recommended as a screening procedure for CRC. However, there are no randomized studies of the effects of the method on incidence, mortality, possible complications or negative effects on the population. Public pressure to have screening for CRC with colonoscopy will probably increase heavily in the next years to come. We fear that colonoscopy will be introduced as a screening method without proper scientific support. Therefore we want to argue for a common Nordic randomized study on population screening with colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy↗