ArticlePublisher preview available

Alcohol intake and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

March 2023
Cancer Causes & Control 34(7):1-9

DOI:10.1007/s10552-023-01681-3

Authors:

Kevin L'Espérance

Université de Montréal

Anne Grundy

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

Jocelyne Arseneau

McGill University Health Centre

Show all 8 authorsHide

Purpose To investigate the association between alcohol intake over the lifetime and the risk of overall, borderline, and invasive ovarian cancer. Methods In a population-based case–control study of 495 cases and 902 controls, conducted in Montreal, Canada, average alcohol intake over the lifetime and during specific age periods were computed from a detailed assessment of the intake of beer, red wine, white wine and spirits. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between alcohol intake and ovarian cancer risk. Results For each one drink/week increment in average alcohol intake over the lifetime, the adjusted OR (95% CI) was 1.06 (1.01–1.10) for ovarian cancer overall, 1.13 (1.06–1.20) for borderline ovarian cancers and 1.02 (0.97–1.08) for invasive ovarian cancers. This pattern of association was similarly observed for alcohol intake in early (15– < 25 years), mid (25– < 40 years) and late adulthood (≥ 40 years), as well as for the intake of specific alcohol beverages over the lifetime. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that a higher alcohol intake modestly increases the risk of overall ovarian cancer, and more specifically, borderline tumours.

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Cancer Causes & Control (2023) 34:533–541

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-023-01681-3

ORIGINAL PAPER

Alcohol intake andtherisk ofepithelial ovarian cancer

KevinL’Espérance1,2 · AnneGrundy1· MichalAbrahamowicz3· JocelyneArseneau4,5· LucyGilbert5·

WalterH.Gotlieb6· DianeProvencher1,7· AnitaKoushik1,2

Received: 25 October 2022 / Accepted: 28 February 2023 / Published online: 18 March 2023

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the association between alcohol intake over the lifetime and the risk of overall, borderline, and

invasive ovarian cancer.

Methods In a population-based case–control study of 495 cases and 902 controls, conducted in Montreal, Canada, average

alcohol intake over the lifetime and during speciﬁc age periods were computed from a detailed assessment of the intake of

beer, red wine, white wine and spirits. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95%

conﬁdence intervals (CIs) for the association between alcohol intake and ovarian cancer risk.

Results For each one drink/week increment in average alcohol intake over the lifetime, the adjusted OR (95% CI) was

1.06 (1.01–1.10) for ovarian cancer overall, 1.13 (1.06–1.20) for borderline ovarian cancers and 1.02 (0.97–1.08) for inva-

sive ovarian cancers. This pattern of association was similarly observed for alcohol intake in early (15– < 25years), mid

(25– < 40years) and late adulthood (≥ 40years), as well as for the intake of speciﬁc alcohol beverages over the lifetime.

Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that a higher alcohol intake modestly increases the risk of overall ovarian

cancer, and more speciﬁcally, borderline tumours.

Keywords Ovarian neoplasms· Alcohol drinking· Beer· Wine· Spirit· Case–control studies

Abbreviations

CI Conﬁdence interval

DAG Directed acyclic graph

OR Odds ratio

PROVAQ Prevention of ovarian cancer in Quebec

Introduction

Given the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer and limitations

with early detection methods [1–4], primary prevention,

and thus the identiﬁcation of modiﬁable risk factors, is of

importance. Alcohol, widely consumed through beverages,

has been classiﬁed as a group I carcinogen by the Inter-

national Agency for Research on Cancer, meaning there is

suﬃcient evidence for its carcinogenicity in humans [5]. In

particular, suﬃcient evidence has been observed for can-

cers of the colorectum, esophagus, head and neck, liver,

and female breast [6]. Alcohol disrupts biological processes

using mechanisms that may increase ovarian risk, such as the

generation of oxidative stress, the increase of estrogen and

androgen levels, and the impairment of DNA methylation

[7]. However, alcoholic beverages also contain substances

that may reduce cancer risk, such as the antioxidants resvera-

trol and quercetin found in red wine [8].

* Anita Koushik

anita.koushik@umontreal.ca

1 Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre

(CRCHUM), Tour Saint-Antoine, 850 Rue Saint-Denis, 3e

étage, Bureau S03.436, Montreal, QCH2X0A9, Canada

2 Department ofSocial andPreventive Medicine, Université de

Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

3 Department ofEpidemiology, Biostatistics andOccupational

Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

4 Department ofPathology, McGill University Health Centre,

Montreal, QC, Canada

5 Division ofGynecologic Oncology, McGill University

Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada

6 Gynecologic Oncology andColposcopy, Sir Mortimer

B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada

7 Department ofObstetrics andGynecology, Division

ofGynecologic Oncology, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université

de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

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