Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study

MSc (Med), Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 === Introduction: Endometrial cancer is a gynaecological cancer that mostly affects women in their sixth and seventh decades of life. It is the fourth most common malignancy in women and ra...

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Main Author: Ali, Aus Tariq
Format: Others
Language:en
Published: 2010
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10539/7974
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spelling ndltd-netd.ac.za-oai-union.ndltd.org-wits-oai-wiredspace.wits.ac.za-10539-79742019-05-11T03:41:08Z Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study Ali, Aus Tariq endometrial cancer risk factors black women MSc (Med), Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 Introduction: Endometrial cancer is a gynaecological cancer that mostly affects women in their sixth and seventh decades of life. It is the fourth most common malignancy in women and ranks eighth among all causes of female cancer in terms of age-adjusted mortality. In developed and numerous developing countries endometrial cancer, as well as other types of cancer in women, is an ever-increasing threat that may be explained, among other reasons, by increased life expectancy and a reduction in fertility or birth rates. Conversely, in South Africa and most other African countries, the previous reasons do not exist, because there is a decline in life expectancy due to increased HIV, low income, and a high fertility rate. International epidemiological studies have established significant relationships between endometrial cancer and risk factors such as the woman’s age, race, early menarche and late menopause, parity, a history of breast or ovarian cancer, the use of endogenous estrogens, concomitant diabetes, family history of breast and ovarian cancer, estrogen therapy, obesity, and the use of tamoxifen. The aim of the study was to identify risk factors associated with endometrial cancer among black South African women. Method: The present case control study comprised black South African women diagnosed with a cancer in Johannesburg, between 1995 and 2005. The study included 592 women aged 27 to 90 years who were admitted to three main public hospitals in the city of Johannesburg with histologically confirmed cancers. 148 cases with endometrial cancer and 444 women with other forms of cancer were analysed. Only newly occurring cases (incident) were included. Women in the control group consisted of those with V cancers not associated with reproductive or hormonal factors, i.e. not cancers of the breast or the female reproductive system. Data handling, cleaning and analysis were done using Stata 9 (STATA). Results: Univariate analysis showed that the risk for endometrial cancer was significantly (P<0.05) affected by: miscarriages, the place of former residence, place of current residence, the use of snuff, wine consumption, age of the youngest child, diabetes, age of menarche, age of menopause, and menstrual status. Smoking was found to be a protective factor for endometrial cancer compared to other cancers. After multivariate adjustment, endometrial cancer risk was significantly (P<0, 05) associated with miscarriages, age at menarche, and earlier completion of childbearing. Smoking remained a protective factor against endometrial cancer. Conclusion: The current study reports similar results to those observed in other international investigations. The risk of endometrial cancer was higher among women who were older, women who experienced miscarriages, and those who fell pregnant early in their reproductive lives. Smoking was a protective factor against endometrial cancer compared to other cancers. However, comparing the cases of endometrial cancer with smoking-associated cancer controls (i.e. lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, and mouth cancer) might have distorted the results. A more appropriate control group for confirming the relationship between smoking and endometrial cancer would be subjects with no cancer. Also, it will be important to evaluate the risk factors for cancer among the other race groups in South Africa. 2010-04-13T11:32:34Z 2010-04-13T11:32:34Z 2010-04-13T11:32:34Z Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10539/7974 en application/pdf
collection NDLTD
language en
format Others
sources NDLTD
topic endometrial cancer
risk factors
black women
spellingShingle endometrial cancer
risk factors
black women
Ali, Aus Tariq
Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study
description MSc (Med), Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 === Introduction: Endometrial cancer is a gynaecological cancer that mostly affects women in their sixth and seventh decades of life. It is the fourth most common malignancy in women and ranks eighth among all causes of female cancer in terms of age-adjusted mortality. In developed and numerous developing countries endometrial cancer, as well as other types of cancer in women, is an ever-increasing threat that may be explained, among other reasons, by increased life expectancy and a reduction in fertility or birth rates. Conversely, in South Africa and most other African countries, the previous reasons do not exist, because there is a decline in life expectancy due to increased HIV, low income, and a high fertility rate. International epidemiological studies have established significant relationships between endometrial cancer and risk factors such as the woman’s age, race, early menarche and late menopause, parity, a history of breast or ovarian cancer, the use of endogenous estrogens, concomitant diabetes, family history of breast and ovarian cancer, estrogen therapy, obesity, and the use of tamoxifen. The aim of the study was to identify risk factors associated with endometrial cancer among black South African women. Method: The present case control study comprised black South African women diagnosed with a cancer in Johannesburg, between 1995 and 2005. The study included 592 women aged 27 to 90 years who were admitted to three main public hospitals in the city of Johannesburg with histologically confirmed cancers. 148 cases with endometrial cancer and 444 women with other forms of cancer were analysed. Only newly occurring cases (incident) were included. Women in the control group consisted of those with V cancers not associated with reproductive or hormonal factors, i.e. not cancers of the breast or the female reproductive system. Data handling, cleaning and analysis were done using Stata 9 (STATA). Results: Univariate analysis showed that the risk for endometrial cancer was significantly (P<0.05) affected by: miscarriages, the place of former residence, place of current residence, the use of snuff, wine consumption, age of the youngest child, diabetes, age of menarche, age of menopause, and menstrual status. Smoking was found to be a protective factor for endometrial cancer compared to other cancers. After multivariate adjustment, endometrial cancer risk was significantly (P<0, 05) associated with miscarriages, age at menarche, and earlier completion of childbearing. Smoking remained a protective factor against endometrial cancer. Conclusion: The current study reports similar results to those observed in other international investigations. The risk of endometrial cancer was higher among women who were older, women who experienced miscarriages, and those who fell pregnant early in their reproductive lives. Smoking was a protective factor against endometrial cancer compared to other cancers. However, comparing the cases of endometrial cancer with smoking-associated cancer controls (i.e. lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, and mouth cancer) might have distorted the results. A more appropriate control group for confirming the relationship between smoking and endometrial cancer would be subjects with no cancer. Also, it will be important to evaluate the risk factors for cancer among the other race groups in South Africa.
author Ali, Aus Tariq
author_facet Ali, Aus Tariq
author_sort Ali, Aus Tariq
title Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study
title_short Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study
title_full Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study
title_fullStr Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study
title_full_unstemmed Risk factors for endometrial cancer among black South African women: a case control study
title_sort risk factors for endometrial cancer among black south african women: a case control study
publishDate 2010
url http://hdl.handle.net/10539/7974
work_keys_str_mv AT aliaustariq riskfactorsforendometrialcanceramongblacksouthafricanwomenacasecontrolstudy
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