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Hormonal factors and pancreatic cancer in women
N Kreiger1, J Lacroix, M Sloan
1Division of Preventive Oncology, Research Unit, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Purpose:
The aim of the study was to evaluate hormonal risk factors for carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas among postmenopausal women.
Methods:
Mailed questionnaire data from 52 cases and 233 population-based controls in Ontario were used to assess parity, age at first birth, and other hormonal factors on pancreatic cancer risk.
Results:
Reduced risk was seen with three or more pregnancies [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.07-0.65] and use of oral contraceptives (adjusted OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.13-0.96), whereas no significant associations were found for age at menarche or menopause, or estrogen replacement therapy. Among parous women, later age at first full-term pregnancy significantly increased the risk of this cancer (adjusted OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 1.50-10.92 for ages 25-29 years, adjusted OR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.02-14.06 for ages 30+ years).
Conclusions:
Our data support the hypothesis that pancreatic cancer is, at least in part, an estrogen-dependent disease; there is growing epidemiological evidence that aspects of reproductive history and hormonal exposure are associated with risk of this disease.