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Epidemiology
Reduced risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer in women with celiac disease†
Article first published online: 14 DEC 2011
DOI: 10.1002/ijc.26454
Copyright © 2011 UICC
Additional Information
How to Cite
Ludvigsson, J. F., West, J., Ekbom, A. and Stephansson, O. (2012), Reduced risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer in women with celiac disease. Int. J. Cancer, 131: E244–E250. doi: 10.1002/ijc.26454
- †
This project (2006/633-31/4) was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Stockholm on June 14, 2006
Publication History
- Issue published online: 25 MAY 2012
- Article first published online: 14 DEC 2011
- Accepted manuscript online: 22 SEP 2011 12:03PM EST
- Manuscript Accepted: 6 SEP 2011
- Manuscript Received: 30 JUN 2011
Funded by
- Örebro University Hospital Research Foundation
- Örebro University
- Swedish Society of Medicine, the Swedish Research Council
- Sven Jerring Foundation
- Örebro Society of Medicine
- Karolinska Institutet
- Clas Groschinsky Foundation
- Juhlin Foundation
- Majblomman Foundation
- Uppsala-Örebro Regional Research Council
- Swedish Celiac Society
- UK National Institute for Health Research Clinician Scientist Fellowship
- Swedish Society of Medicine
- Stockholm County Council
Keywords:
- autoimmunity;
- breast cancer;
- cancer;
- celiac;
- cohort study;
- celiac;
- gluten intolerance;
- inflammation;
- malignancy;
- population-based
Abstract
Women with celiac disease (CD) may be at decreased risk of female hormone-related cancers given the observed reduction in breast cancer seen in some cohorts. Using biopsy data from all 28 pathology departments in Sweden, we identified 17,852 women with CD who were diagnosed between 1969 and 2007. We used Cox regression model to estimate their risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer and then compared them with 88,400 age- and sex-matched controls. The results indicate that individuals with CD were at a lower risk for all three outcomes: breast cancer (hazard ratio, HR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.72–1.01), endometrial cancer (HR = 0.60; 95% CI =0.41–0.86) and ovarian cancer (HR = 0.89; 95% CI =0.59–1.34). This inverse relationship was strengthened when we excluded the first year of follow-up beyond CD diagnosis (breast: HR = 0.82; 95% CI =0.68–0.99; endometrial: HR = 0.58; 0.39–0.87; ovarian cancer: HR = 0.72; 0.45–1.15). In conclusion, CD seems to be inversely related not only to breast cancer but also to endometrial and ovarian cancer. Potential explanations include shared risk factors and early menopause.