Alcohol and gynecological cancers: an overview

The objective of the paper was to summarize the literature findings on alcohol consumption with regard to risk of various gynecological cancers. A Medline search was performed considering available cohort and case-control studies published until 31st March 2009 examining the association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and cancers of the cervix uteri, corpus uteri, endometrium, ovaries, vagina, and vulva. The number of prospective population-based studies with adequate information on confounding factors is low, particularly for cancers of the cervix, corpus uteri, vulva and vagina. Several register studies have found a higher risk of cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers among alcoholics than in the general population. However, these findings have not been confirmed in population-based studies in which confounding factors have been adjusted for. Endometrial, corpus uteri, and ovarian cancers do not seem to be related to alcohol consumption. Analyses regarding the dose-response relationship, source of alcohol (wine, beer, spirits) and interaction with other risk factors have not revealed any further associations. In conclusion, the current body of evidence, which is inadequate for several sites, suggests no association between alcohol consumption and risk of gynecological cancers.