Endogenous androgens and risk of epithelial invasive ovarian cancer by tumor characteristics in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Abstract

The role of endogenous androgens and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in ovarian carcinogenesis is poorly understood. Epithelial invasive ovarian cancer (EOC) is a heterogeneous disease and there are no prospective data on endogenous androgens and EOC risk by tumor characteristics (histology, grade, stage) or the dualistic model of ovarian carcinogenesis (i.e. type I vs. type II, leading to less or more aggressive tumors). We conducted a nested case-control study in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort evaluating androgens and SHBG and invasive EOC risk by tumor characteristics. Female participants who provided a blood sample and were not using exogenous hormones at blood donation were eligible (n = 183,257). A total of 565 eligible women developed EOC; two controls (n = 1,097) were matched per case. We used multivariable conditional logistic regression models. We observed no association between androgens, SHBG and EOC overall. A doubling of androstenedione reduced risk of serous carcinomas by 21% (odds ratio (OR)log2 = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.64-0.97]). Moreover, associations differed for low-grade and high-grade carcinomas, with positive associations for low-grade and inverse associations for high-grade carcinomas (e.g. androstenedione: low grade: ORlog2 = 1.99 [0.98-4.06]; high grade: ORlog2 = 0.75 [0.61-0.93], phet ≤ 0.01), similar associations were observed for type I/II tumors. This is the first prospective study to evaluate androgens, SHBG and EOC risk by tumor characteristics and type I/II status. Our findings support a possible role of androgens in ovarian carcinogenesis. Additional studies exploring this association are needed.

• Authors: Jennifer Ose, Renée T Fortner, Sabina Rinaldi, Helena Schock, Kim Overvad, Anne Tjonneland, Louise Hansen, Laure Dossus, Agnes Fournier, Laura Baglietto, Isabelle Romieu, Elisabetta Kuhn, Heiner Boeing, Antonia Trichopoulou, Pagona Lagiou, Dimitrios Trichopoulos, Domenico Palli, Giovanna Masala, Sabina Sieri, Rosario Tumino, Carlotta Sacerdote, Amalia Mattiello, Jose Ramon Quiros, Mireia Obón-Santacana, Nerea Larrañaga, María-Dolores Chirlaque, María-José Sánchez, Aurelio Barricarte, Petra H Peeters, H Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, N Charlotte Onland-Moret, Jenny Brändstedt, Eva Lundin, Annika Idahl, Elisabete Weiderpass, Inger T Gram, Eiliv Lund, Kay-Tee Kaw, Ruth C Travis, Melissa A Merritt, Marc J Gunther, Elio Riboli, Rudolf Kaaks
• Journal: International journal of cancer (Int J Cancer) Vol. 136 Issue 2 Pg. 399-410 (Jan 15 2015) ISSN: 1097-0215 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24890047 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2014 UICC.

Chemical References

• Androgens
• Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Androgens (blood)
• Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial
• Case-Control Studies
• Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous (blood, epidemiology, pathology)
• Europe (epidemiology)
• Fallopian Tube Neoplasms (blood, epidemiology, pathology)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Grading
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Neoplasm Staging
• Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial (blood, epidemiology, pathology)
• Nutritional Status
• Ovarian Neoplasms (blood, epidemiology, pathology)
• Peritoneal Neoplasms (blood, epidemiology, pathology)
• Prognosis
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (metabolism)