Hormonal factors and pancreatic cancer in women.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate hormonal risk factors for carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas among postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Mailed questionnaire data from 52 cases and 233 population-based controls in Ontario were used to assess parity, age at first birth, and other hormonal factors on pancreatic cancer risk.

RESULTS

Reduced risk was seen with three or more pregnancies [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.07-0.65] and use of oral contraceptives (adjusted OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.13-0.96), whereas no significant associations were found for age at menarche or menopause, or estrogen replacement therapy. Among parous women, later age at first full-term pregnancy significantly increased the risk of this cancer (adjusted OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 1.50-10.92 for ages 25-29 years, adjusted OR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.02-14.06 for ages 30+ years).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data support the hypothesis that pancreatic cancer is, at least in part, an estrogen-dependent disease; there is growing epidemiological evidence that aspects of reproductive history and hormonal exposure are associated with risk of this disease.