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Physical activity, body size and composition, and risk of ovarian cancer

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Abstract

Objectives

We examined the association between risk of ovarian cancer and physical activity and anthropometry (body mass index, height, waist, fat, and fat-free mass) in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included 18,700 women aged 26–76 years old at recruitment between 1990 and 1994. Participants were interviewed about their physical activity, including frequency and intensity. Body measurements were taken directly; fat mass and fat-free mass were calculated from bioelectrical impedance analysis. During an average of 10.2 years of follow-up, 113 ovarian cancers were ascertained. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios.

Results

After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with no physical activity, the hazard ratios for levels of total physical activity were 1.56 (95% CI: 0.81, 3.00) for low level, 1.92 (1.07, 3.45) for medium level, and 2.21 (1.16, 4.24) for high level (test for trend, p = 0.01). The hazard ratio for ovarian cancer in relation to BMI was 1.22 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.48; p-trend, 0.06) per 5 kg/m2 increment, and for fat mass, 1.23 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.49; p-trend, 0.04) per 10 kg increment.

Conclusions

This study found some evidence for a possible relationship between higher levels of physical activity and body size and increased ovarian cancer risk.

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Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by the contribution of many people, including the original investigators, the Program Manager, Ms Georgina Marr, and the diligent team who recruited the participants and who continue working on follow-up. We would like to express our gratitude to the many thousands of Melbourne residents who continue to participate in the study. VicHealth and The Cancer Council Victoria funded cohort recruitment. This study was funded by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (251533, 209057) and was further supported by infrastructure provided by The Cancer Council Victoria. JLH is a NHMRC Australia Fellow. RJM is a Sidney Sax Post Doctoral Research Fellow of the NHMRC. VicHealth and The Cancer Council Victoria funded cohort recruitment. This study was funded by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (251533, 209057) and was further supported by infrastructure provided by The Cancer Council Victoria. JLH is a NHMRC Australia Fellow. RJM is a Sidney Sax Post Doctoral Research Fellow of the NHMRC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria, 100 Drummond Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia

    Fiona Chionh, Laura Baglietto, Kavitha Krishnan, Dallas R. English, Robert J. MacInnis & Graham G. Giles

  2. Centre for Genetic Epidemiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Laura Baglietto, Dallas R. English, Robert J. MacInnis, John L. Hopper & Graham G. Giles

  3. Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Robert J. MacInnis

  4. Victorian Cytology Service, Melbourne, Australia

    Dorota M. Gertig

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  1. Fiona Chionh
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Correspondence to Fiona Chionh.

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Chionh, F., Baglietto, L., Krishnan, K. et al. Physical activity, body size and composition, and risk of ovarian cancer. Cancer Causes Control 21, 2183–2194 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9638-y

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