MUHAMMED JASIM
MUHAMMED.J.NISHADH
MEGHA BHARATH
MOHAMMED SHAFI
K.VIJAYAKUMAR
Cancer of the female reproductive tract has a high incidence amongst Indian women. According to National cancer registry’s population based study in 2003 on the proportion of ovarian cancers among all female cancers; it was about 5.2% and 5.1% in Banglore and Chennai respectively. Ovarian cancer was about 7.2% in Delhi but Mumbai topped the list with about 7.3%.Proportion of ovarian cancer in Trivandrum increased from 5.5% in 1993 to 8% in 2003.As stated by The American Cancer Society about 76% of women with ovarian cancer survive 1 year after diagnosis, and 45% survive longer than 5 years after diagnosis. If diagnosed and treated while the cancer has not spread outside the ovary, the 5-year survival rate is 93%. Here comes the importance of knowing the risk factors of ovarian cancer.
A hospital – based case – control study was conducted with 100 women of age more than 30 years with ovarian cancer as cases and the control being 200 women without ovarian cancer matched for age from the Radiotherapy and Surgery wards of Medical College Hospital, Trivandrum respectively within a time period of 3 months from October-2007 to January 2008.The data was collected by interviewing the subjects based on a questionnaire, which contained the study variables: General information, Personal history, Past history, Family history, Menstrual history, Obstetric history and Diet. Univariate analysis was done by odds ratio and students’T test and multivariate analysis by logistic regression. Following factors accounted for 55.9% of the total risk factors predisposing to ovarian cancer: Family h/o ovarian cancer, Family h/o other malignancy, Milk consumption, Fried food consumption. These findings reveal the need for early screening for individuals with a family history of ovarian cancer or other malignancies (1). A balanced diet which includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and restriction of fried food intake can also be recommended