Breastfeeding Associations with Childhood Obesity and Body Composition: Findings from a Racially Diverse Maternal-Child Cohort.

Background: Studies suggest breastfeeding lowers obesity risk in childhood, but generalizability of existing evidence is limited. We examined associations of breastfeeding with childhood overweight, obesity, and percentage body fat, in a racially diverse maternal-child cohort. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 823 children, ages 4-8 years, enrolled in the Environmental Exposures and Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort, a subset of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies cohort. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overweight [BMI (kg/m2) 85th to <95th percentile] and obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) in relation to breastfeeding including duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding. Linear regression was used to evaluate association between breastfeeding and percentage body fat measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results: Fifty-two percent of children were male, 32% non-Hispanic Black, 29% Hispanic, 27% non-Hispanic White, and 13% Asian; 16% were overweight and 13% obese. Six months of exclusive breastfeeding, compared with no breastfeeding, was associated with 60% lower odds of obesity (95% CI 0.18-0.91) adjusting for age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, maternal BMI, and child's activity. Percentage body fat was inversely associated with breastfeeding duration. For none, <6, and ≥6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, adjusted mean percentage body fat was 16.8, 14.5, and 13.4, respectively. Results did not differ by gender, race/ethnicity, or maternal BMI status. Conclusions: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is inversely and significantly associated with obesity and percentage body fat at ages 4-8 years. These findings support current breastfeeding guidelines.

Factors Associated With Readmission in the United States Following Hospitalization With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

BACKGROUND: Patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may experience complications following hospitalization and require readmission. In this analysis, we estimated the rate and risk factors associated with COVID-19-related readmission and inpatient mortality. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used deidentified chargemaster data from 297 hospitals across 40 US states on patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from 15 February 2020 through 9 June 2020. Demographics, comorbidities, acute conditions, and clinical characteristics of first hospitalization are summarized. Multivariable logistic regression was used to measure risk factor associations with 30-day readmission and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Among 29 659 patients, 1070 (3.6%) were readmitted. Readmitted patients were more likely to have diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), or chronic kidney disease (CKD) vs those not readmitted (P < .0001) and to present on first admission with acute kidney injury (15.6% vs 9.2%), congestive heart failure (6.4% vs 2.4%), or cardiomyopathy (2.1% vs 0.8%) (P < .0001). Higher odds of readmission were observed in patients aged >60 vs 18-40 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-2.50) and those admitted in the Northeast vs West (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.14-1.79) or South (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.11-1.49). Comorbidities including diabetes (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.12-1.60), CVD (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.23-1.72), CKD stage 1-5 (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.25-1.81), and CKD stage 5 (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.81-2.86) were associated with higher odds of readmission; 12.3% of readmitted patients died during second hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Among this large US population of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, readmission was associated with certain comorbidities and acute conditions during first hospitalization. These findings may inform strategies to mitigate risks of readmission due to COVID-19 complications.

Methodology and Initial Results From a Real-World Observational Cohort of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: TARGET-IBD.

Background: Data on care patterns for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from large-scale, diverse clinical cohorts in real-world practice are sparse. We developed a real-world cohort of patients receiving care at academic and community sites, for comparative study of therapies and natural history of IBD. Methods: We describe novel methodology of central abstraction of clinical data into a real-world IBD registry with patient reported outcomes (PROs). Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, healthcare utilization, and disease metrics were assessed. Bivariate statistics were used to compare demographic and clinical data by Crohn disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) and site of care (academic, community). Results: In 1 year, 1343 IBD patients (60.1% CD, 38.9% UC) were recruited from 27 academic (49.5%) and community (50.5%) sites, exceeding expectations (110% enrolled). Most participants also consented to provide PROs (59.5%) or biosamples (85.7%). Overall, 48.7% of the cohort provided a baseline PRO, and 62.6% provided a biosample. Compared to UC, CD subjects had higher prior (34.1% CD vs 7.7% UC; P < 0.001) and current (72.1% vs 47.9%; P < 0.001) biologic utilization. CD participants from academic sites had more complicated disease than those from community sites (62.5% vs 46.8% stricturing/penetrating; 33.5% vs 27% perianal; 36.8% vs 14.5% prior biologic, respectively). Nearly all (90.4%) participants had endoscopic data of whom 37.7% were in remission. One-year retention was 98.4%. Conclusions: Centralized data abstraction and electronic PRO capture provided efficient recruitment into a large real-world observational cohort. This novel platform provides a resource for clinical outcomes and comparative effectiveness research in IBD.

Racial disparities in treatment and survival from ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Black women with ovarian cancer in the U.S. have lower survival than whites. We aimed to identify factors associated with racial differences in ovarian cancer treatment and overall survival (OS). METHODS: We examined data from 365 white and 95 black ovarian cancer patients from the Hollings Cancer Center Cancer Registry in Charleston, S.C. between 2000 and 2015. We used unconditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between race and receipt of surgery and chemotherapy, and Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs between race and OS. Model variables included diagnosis center, stage, histology, insurance status, smoking, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (AACI) and residual disease. Interactions between race and AACI were assessed using -2 log likelihood tests. RESULTS: Blacks vs. whites were over two-fold less likely to receive a surgery-chemotherapy sequence (multivariable-adjusted OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.43-4.21), particularly if they had a higher AACI (interaction p = 0.008). In multivariable-adjusted Cox models, black women were at higher risk of death (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.35-2.43) than whites, even when restricted to patients who received a surgery-chemotherapy sequence (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.10-2.89) and particularly for those with higher AACI (HR 4.70, 95% CI 2.00 - 11.02, interaction p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Among blacks, higher comorbidity associates with less chance of receiving guideline-based treatment and also modifies OS. Differences in receipt of guideline-based care do not completely explain survival differences between blacks and whites with ovarian cancer. These results highlight opportunities for further research.

Walking in Relation to Mortality in a Large Prospective Cohort of Older U.S. Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Engaging in >150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly is recommended for optimal health. The relationship between walking, the most common activity especially for older adults, and total mortality is not well documented. METHODS: Data from a large U.S. prospective cohort study including 62,178 men (mean age 70.7 years) and 77,077 women (mean age 68.9 years), among whom 24,688 men and 18,933 women died during 13 years of follow-up (1999-2012), were used to compute multivariable-adjusted hazard rate ratios and 95% CIs for walking as the sole form of activity or adjusted for other moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity in relation to total and cause-specific mortality (data analysis 2015-2016). RESULTS: Inactivity compared with walking only at less than recommended levels was associated with higher all-cause mortality (hazard rate ratio=1.26, 95% CI=1.21, 1.31). Meeting one to two times the recommendations through walking only was associated with lower all-cause mortality (hazard rate ratio=0.80, 95% CI=0.78, 0.83). Associations with walking adjusted for other moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity were similar to walking only. Walking was most strongly associated with respiratory disease mortality followed by cardiovascular disease mortality and then cancer mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults, walking below minimum recommended levels is associated with lower all-cause mortality compared with inactivity. Walking at or above physical activity recommendations is associated with even greater decreased risk. Walking is simple, free, and does not require any training, and thus is an ideal activity for most Americans, especially as they age.

Associations of Coffee Drinking and Cancer Mortality in the Cancer Prevention Study-II.

Background: Associations of coffee consumption with cancer mortality are inconsistent for many types of cancer, and confounding by smoking is an important concern.Methods: Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted HRs for coffee consumption associated with death from all cancers combined and from specific cancer types among 922,896 Cancer Prevention Study-II participants ages 28-94 years who completed a four-page questionnaire and were cancer free at baseline in 1982.Results: During follow-up through 2012, there were 118,738 cancer-related deaths. There was a nonlinear association between coffee consumption and all-cancer death among current smokers and former smokers and no association among never smokers. Among nonsmokers, a 2 cup/day increase in coffee consumption was inversely associated with death from colorectal [HR = 0.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-0.99], liver [HR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88-0.96], and female breast (HR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99) cancers, and positively associated with esophageal cancer-related death (HR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12). For head and neck cancer, a nonlinear inverse association was observed starting at 2-3 cups per day (HR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55-0.95), with similar associations observed at higher levels of consumption.Conclusions: These findings are consistent with many other studies that suggest coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of colorectal, liver, female breast, and head and neck cancer. The association of coffee consumption with higher risk of esophageal cancer among nonsmokers in our study should be confirmed.Impact: These results underscore the importance of assessing associations between coffee consumption and cancer mortality by smoking status. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(10); 1477-86. ©2017 AACR.

The American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study 3 (CPS-3): Recruitment, study design, and baseline characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Prospective cohort studies contribute importantly to understanding the role of lifestyle, genetic, and other factors in chronic disease etiology. METHODS: The American Cancer Society (ACS) recruited a new prospective cohort study, Cancer Prevention Study 3 (CPS-3), between 2006 and 2013 from 35 states and Puerto Rico. Enrollment took place primarily at ACS community events and at community enrollment "drives." At enrollment sites, participants completed a brief survey that included an informed consent, identifying information necessary for follow-up, and key exposure information. They also provided a waist measure and a nonfasting blood sample. Most participants also completed a more comprehensive baseline survey at home that included extensive medical, lifestyle, and other information. Participants will be followed for incident cancers through linkage with state cancer registries and for cause-specific mortality through linkage with the National Death Index. RESULTS: In total, 303,682 participants were enrolled. Of these, 254,650 completed the baseline survey and are considered "fully" enrolled; they will be sent repeat surveys periodically for at least the next 20 years to update exposure information. The remaining participants (n = 49,032) will not be asked to update exposure information but will be followed for outcomes. Twenty-three percent of participants were men, 17.3% reported a race or ethnicity other than "white," and the median age at enrollment was 47 years. CONCLUSIONS: CPS-3 will be a valuable resource for studies of cancer and other outcomes because of its size; its diversity with respect to age, ethnicity, and geography; and the availability of blood samples and detailed questionnaire information collected over time. Cancer 2017;123:2014-2024. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Associations of parity and age at first pregnancy with overall and cause-specific mortality in the Cancer Prevention Study II.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of parity, number of live births, and age at first birth with mortality using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models. DESIGN: Observational cohort. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): A total of 424,797 women. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): All-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULT(S): During median follow-up of 24.93 years, 238,324 deaths occurred. Parous, compared with nulliparous, women had lower rates of all-cause (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93-0.96) mortality, driven by heart disease and overall cancer mortality. A linear trend was found for more births and diabetes mortality (P<.001) with having ≥6 births, compared with 2, associated with an HR of 1.28 (95% CI 1.15-1.43). Compared with age at first birth from 20-22 years, age at first birth <20 years was associated with higher mortality rates overall (HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06), driven by heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality; whereas, ≥35 years was associated with higher overall cancer mortality (HR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.06-1.20). CONCLUSION(S): Although parity was associated with a slight reduction in rates of all-cause mortality resulting in a minimal impact on average lifespan, the higher diabetes mortality in grand multiparous women might warrant continuous monitoring, particularly for abnormal glucose metabolism, among these women.

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and leisure-time sitting in relation to ovarian cancer risk in a large prospective US cohort.

PURPOSE: Physical activity is hypothesized to lower the risk of ovarian cancer, but current evidence for an association is limited and inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, walking, and leisure-time sitting in relation to incident ovarian cancer, overall and by histologic subtype. METHODS: Moderate-vigorous recreational physical activity (MET-hours/week), recreational walking, and leisure-time sitting were examined in relation to epithelial ovarian cancer in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, a US cohort followed for cancer incidence from 1992 to 2011. Exposure information was collected via self-administered questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of total, serous, and nonserous ovarian cancer according to MET-hours/week, hours/week of walking, and hours/day of sitting. RESULTS: Among 63,972 postmenopausal women, 651 cases of ovarian cancer were identified during follow-up. Neither MET-hours/week nor walking was associated with risk. However, ≥6 h/day of sitting, compared to <3, was associated with higher risk of ovarian cancer (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.12-1.85), particularly for serous cancer (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.06-2.16), although statistical heterogeneity by histology was not detected (p = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study do not support an association between physical activity and ovarian cancer, whereas prolonged sitting may be associated with higher risk. Additional large studies are needed to further assess possible etiologic differences by histologic subtype.

Leisure-Time Spent Sitting and Site-Specific Cancer Incidence in a Large U.S. Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Time spent sitting is distinctly different from accumulating too little physical activity and may have independent deleterious effects. Few studies have examined the association between sitting time and site-specific cancer incidence. METHODS: Among 69,260 men and 77,462 women who were cancer-free and enrolled in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, 18,555 men and 12,236 women were diagnosed with cancer between 1992 and 2009. Extended Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of leisure-time spent sitting with total and site-specific cancer incidence. RESULTS: Longer leisure-time spent sitting, after adjustment for physical activity, BMI, and other factors, was associated with risk of total cancer in women (RR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.17 for ≥6 hours vs. <3 hours per day), but not men (RR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.96-1.05). In women, sitting time was associated with risk of multiple myeloma (RR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.07-2.54), invasive breast cancer (RR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00-1.21), and ovarian cancer (RR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10-1.87). There were no associations between sitting time and site-specific cancers in men. CONCLUSION: Longer leisure-time spent sitting was associated with a higher risk of total cancer risk in women, and specifically with multiple myeloma, breast, and ovarian cancers, but sitting time was not associated with cancer risk in men. Further research is warranted to better understand the differences in associations between men and women. IMPACT: For women, these findings support American Cancer Society guidelines for cancer prevention to reduce sitting time when possible.

Body mass index and all-cause mortality in a large prospective cohort of white and black U.S. Adults.

Remaining controversies on the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality include the effects of smoking and prevalent disease on the association, whether overweight is associated with higher mortality rates, differences in associations by race and the optimal age at which BMI predicts mortality. To assess the relative risk (RR) of mortality by BMI in Whites and Blacks among subgroups defined by smoking, prevalent disease, and age, 891,572 White and 38,119 Black men and women provided height, weight and other information when enrolled in the Cancer Prevention Study II in 1982. Over 28 years of follow-up, there were 434,400 deaths in Whites and 18,702 deaths in Blacks. Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Smoking and prevalent disease status significantly modified the BMI-mortality relationship in Whites and Blacks; higher BMI was most strongly associated with higher risk of mortality among never smokers without prevalent disease. All levels of overweight and obesity were associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of mortality compared to the reference category (BMI 22.5-24.9 kg/m2), except among Black women where risk was elevated but not statistically significant in the lower end of overweight. Although absolute mortality rates were higher in Blacks than Whites within each BMI category, relative risks (RRs) were similar between race groups for both men and women (p-heterogeneity by race  = 0.20 for men and 0.23 for women). BMI was most strongly associated with mortality when reported before age 70 years. Results from this study demonstrate for the first time that the BMI-mortality relationship differs for men and women who smoke or have prevalent disease compared to healthy never-smokers. These findings further support recommendations for maintaining a BMI between 20-25 kg/m2 for optimal health and longevity.

Circadian disruption and fatal ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: The International Agency for Research on Cancer determination that shift work is a "probable" human carcinogen was based primarily on studies of breast cancer but it was also noted that additional aspects of circadian disruption and other cancer sites deserved further research. PURPOSE: To examine possible associations of three measures of circadian disruption: nontypical work schedules, nightly sleep duration, and monthly frequency of insomnia with risk of fatal ovarian cancer in a sample of American women. METHODS: Several measures of circadian disruption and other information were assessed in 1982 from 161,004 employed women in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-II, a cohort that has been followed for mortality through 2010. In 2013, Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model the relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs of death from ovarian cancer for categories of each indicator of circadian disruption. RESULTS: Over 28 years of follow-up, 1289 deaths from ovarian cancer occurred in the at-risk cohort. Compared to fixed daytime work, a rotating schedule was associated with an elevated risk of fatal ovarian cancer (RR=1.27, 95% CI=1.03, 1.56). No significant associations were observed for sleep duration (p trend=0.24) or insomnia (p trend=0.44). CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective study, there was a higher risk of fatal ovarian cancer in women who reported a rotating work schedule. These findings and the high prevalence of rotating shift schedules underscore the need for further research examining the role of work schedule and risk of ovarian cancer.

Recreational physical activity and leisure-time sitting in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk.

Epidemiologic evidence supports an inverse association between physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer. Whether associations exist for moderate activities, such as walking, and whether associations differ by estrogen receptor (ER) status, body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)), adult weight gain, or use of postmenopausal hormones (PMH) is unclear. The relation between time spent sitting and breast cancer also is unclear. Among 73,615 postmenopausal women in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, 4,760 women were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1992 and 2009. Extended Cox regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) of breast cancer in relation to total recreational physical activity, walking, and leisure-time sitting. Differences in associations by ER status, BMI, weight gain, and PMH use were also evaluated. The most active women (those reporting >42 MET-hours/week physical activity) experienced 25% lower risk of breast cancer than the least active [0-<7 MET-hours/week; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63-0.89; Ptrend = 0.01]. Forty-seven percent of women reported walking as their only recreational activity; among these women, a 14% lower risk was observed for ≥7 hours/week relative to ≤3 hours/week of walking (95% CI, 0.75-0.98). Associations did not differ by ER status, BMI, weight gain, or PMH use. Sitting time was not associated with risk. These results support an inverse association between physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer that does not differ by ER status, BMI, weight gain, or PMH use. The finding of a lower risk associated with ≥7 hours/week of walking may be of public health interest.

Coffee, tea, and fatal oral/pharyngeal cancer in a large prospective US cohort.

Epidemiologic studies suggest that coffee intake is associated with reduced risk of oral/pharyngeal cancer. The authors examined associations of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea intake with fatal oral/pharyngeal cancer in the Cancer Prevention Study II, a prospective US cohort study begun in 1982 by the American Cancer Society. Among 968,432 men and women who were cancer free at enrollment, 868 deaths due to oral/pharyngeal cancer occurred during 26 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risk. Intake of >4 cups/day of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 49% lower risk of oral/pharyngeal cancer death relative to no/occasional coffee intake (relative risk = 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.40, 0.64) (1 cup/day = 237 ml). A dose-related decline in relative risk was observed with each single cup/day consumed (P(trend) < 0.001). The association was not modified by sex, smoking status, or alcohol use. An inverse association for >2 cups/day of decaffeinated coffee intake was suggested (relative risk = 0.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.37, 1.01). No association was found for tea drinking. In this large prospective study, caffeinated coffee intake was inversely associated with oral/pharyngeal cancer mortality. Research is needed to elucidate biologic mechanisms whereby coffee might help to protect against these often fatal cancers.

Postmenopausal unopposed estrogen and estrogen plus progestin use and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Cohort.

Results of epidemiologic studies on postmenopausal hormone (PMH) use and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are inconsistent. To help clarify this issue, PMH and NHL incidence was examined in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort. Between 1992 and 2007, 616 cases of NHL were identified among 67 980 postmenopausal women who were cancer-free at baseline. PMH use was updated during follow-up. Using extended Cox regression, we observed a statistically significant 29% higher risk of NHL for ever unopposed estrogen use compared to never use, which was restricted to follicular lymphoma (current estrogen compared to never use, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-4.33) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, HR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.13-3.35). There was no association between current estrogen plus progestin (E + P) use and NHL incidence overall, but a suggested positive association between current E + P use and DLBCL, as well as former E + P use and follicular lymphoma. These results suggest that postmenopausal hormones might play a role in NHL etiology, particularly for follicular lymphoma and DLBCL.

Type II diabetes mellitus and the incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer in the cancer prevention study-II nutrition cohort.

BACKGROUND: Despite consistent associations of type II diabetes mellitus with hormonally related cancers such as breast and endometrium, the relation between type II diabetes mellitus and ovarian cancer risk is unclear. METHODS: Associations of type II diabetes mellitus status, duration, and insulin use with epithelial ovarian cancer overall, and with serous and nonserous histologic subtypes were examined in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort, a prospective study of U.S. men and women predominantly aged 50 years and older. Between 1992 and 2007, 524 incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases were identified among 63,440 postmenopausal women. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using extended Cox regression to update diabetes status and bilateral oophorectomy status during follow-up. RESULTS: Type II diabetes mellitus status (RR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.75-1.46) and duration were not associated with epithelial ovarian cancer risk. Although not statistically significantly different (P(difference) = 0.39), the RR was higher for type II diabetes mellitus with insulin use (RR = 1.28; 95% CI, 0.74-2.24) than for type II diabetes mellitus without insulin use (RR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.64-1.43). Diabetes seemed to be more strongly associated with nonserous (RR = 1.41; 95% CI, 0.70-2.85) than serous (RR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.41-1.23) histologic subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Type II diabetes mellitus was not associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, although higher risks with nonserous subtypes and among insulin users cannot be ruled out. IMPACT: Larger studies are needed to clarify associations of type II diabetes mellitus with or without insulin use with risk of ovarian cancer overall and by histologic subtypes.

Prospective studies of body mass index with head and neck cancer incidence and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Results of a pooled analysis of case-control studies show a higher risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) associated with a low body mass index (BMI) and a lower risk associated with being overweight or obese compared with being normal weight. However, these results are prone to bias due to residual confounding by smoking, a strong risk factor, and possible weight loss prior to diagnosis. Using prospectively collected data from the Cancer Prevention Study-II cohort and the Nutrition cohort, we examined the association of BMI with HNC mortality and incidence, overall and by smoking status. METHODS: Mortality analyses included 1,383 cases among 1,059,153 participants; incidence analyses included 340 cases among 150,262 participants. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of BMI with HNC incidence and mortality. RESULTS: Overall, compared with the category of BMI 22.5-24.9 kg/m(2), the categories of BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2) and ≥ 30.0 kg/m(2) were associated with a lower risk of HNC mortality but not incidence. In never smokers, there were no associations of BMI with HNC incidence or mortality. In smokers, BMI < 22.5 kg/m(2) was associated with a higher risk of HNC mortality (HR = 1.42, 95% CI, 1.20-1.67). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort, there was no association between BMI and HNC incidence, although BMI was inversely associated with HNC mortality in smokers. IMPACT: These suggest that there is no etiologic relationship between BMI and HNC.

Prospective study reveals associations between colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus or insulin use in men.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC); it is not clear if this association varies by sex or other factors. Insulin use might also be associated with CRC risk. We investigated associations of type 2 DM and insulin use with CRC risk. METHODS: The Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort is a prospective study of cancer incidence. In 1992 or 1993, adult participants (n = 184,194) completed a detailed, self-administered questionnaire. Follow-up questionnaires were sent in 1997 and every 2 years thereafter. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: After exclusions, 73,312 men and 81,663 women remained in the final analytic cohort; 1567 men (227 with type 2 DM) and 1242 women (108 with type 2 DM) were diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer by 2007. Among men, type 2 DM was associated with increased risk of incident CRC compared to not having type 2 DM (RR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.08-1.44); risk was higher for participants with type 2 DM using insulin (RR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.05-1.78), and participants with type 2 DM not using insulin (RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04-1.45). Among women, type 2 DM and insulin use were not associated with risk of incident CRC (RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.82-1.23 and RR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.64-1.41, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There is a modest association between type 2 DM and CRC among men, but not women. Insulin use is not associated with a substantially increased risk of CRC.

Postmenopausal hormone use and incident ovarian cancer: Associations differ by regimen.

Ovarian cancer has been associated in epidemiologic studies with postmenopausal hormone use. Whether associations differ by hormone regimen, current status or duration of use is unclear. We examined epithelial ovarian cancer incidence in relation to unopposed estrogen (E-only) and estrogen plus progestin (E + P) among 54,436 postmenopausal women of the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, a US cohort prospectively followed for cancer incidence since 1992. Demographic, medical, reproductive and lifestyle information was collected at enrollment and updated throughout follow-up via self-administered questionnaire. Extended Cox models were used to estimate age- and multivariate-adjusted relative risk (RR) of ovarian cancer according to hormone regimen, current status and duration of use. During 15 years of follow-up, 297 incident cases were identified. Relative to "never" use of hormones, current E-only use was associated with a twofold higher risk [RR 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-2.85]; each 5-year increment of use was associated with a 25% higher risk (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.15-1.36); ≥ 20 years of use was associated with a near threefold higher risk (RR 2.89; 95% CI 1.71-4.87; trend p = 0.01). Past E-only use was not significantly associated with ovarian cancer, although a modest increase in risk per each 5-year increment of use was suggested (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.92-1.41). Neither current nor former E + P use was associated with ovarian cancer risk (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.86-1.35; RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.68-1.71, respectively, per 5-year increment). These findings suggest that progestins may mitigate some of the detrimental effects of estrogen on the ovarian epithelium.