The purpose of this study is to determine if women's body fat distribution types are related to the occurrence of endometrial cancer. Specifically, this is an epidemiologic case-control study of incident cases of endometrial cancer and population controls to determine if, when adjusted for known risk factors, body fat distribution is a risk factor. Living women residents in the Baltimore SMSA with a diagnosis of endometrial cancer made in one of several Baltimore SMSA hospitals will serve as the case group. Consenting women with a similar age and racial distribution to cases and having a similar distribution by telephone exchange of cases will serve as controls. Although each control woman must have an intact uterus, she will not be excluded if she has or develops endometrial cancer. Thus, the controls will be a sample of the entire population within the age and telephone requirements. Although power to detect differences among black women will be small, black women will not be excluded but will be described to the extent possible. The distribution of body fat will be described by multiple skinfold thickness measurements and the ratio of waist to hip circumference. A telephone questionnaire will be used to elicit data concerning known endometrial cancer risk factors including age at menarche, first birth, and menopause, use of exogenous estrogens, and history of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Endometrial cancer incidence is increasing and in the United States is more common than cervical cancer (excluding in situ cancers). Demonstrating a relationship between body fat distribution and endometrial cancer will serve not only to aid identification of women at greater risk for screening for the early detection and thus more successful treatment of the disease, but will also provide valuable clues for further research into the etiology. In addition, if such a risk factor can be identified, it may be possible to alter a woman's risk by appropriate weight reduction, thus the information gained could serve in a preventive manner.
| Elliott, E A; Matanoski, G M; Rosenshein, N B et al. (1990) Body fat patterning in women with endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol 39:253-8 |
