Objective: This study investigates the potential role of olive oil and other added fats used for seasoning or cooking on ovarian carcinogenesis.
Methods: We analyzed data from a multicentre case-control study conducted between 1992 and 1999 in Italy, including a total of 1031 incident with a first diagnosis, histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer cases and 2,411 hospital controls with acute, non-malignant and non-gynecological conditions. The subjects' usual diet was investigated through a validated food-frequency questionnaire, including specific questions aimed at assessing added fat intake patterns.
Results: After allowance for study centre, year at interview, age, education, parity, oral contraceptive use, and total energy intake, a reduced risk of ovarian cancer was observed for high intake of olive oil (odds ratio (OR) = 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-0.93 for the highest quintile of intake, compared to the lowest one) and for a group of specific seed oils (i.e. sunflower, maize, peanut, and soya) (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.46-0.76). No significant associations were observed for mixed seed oils, butter, and margarine.
Conclusions: The present study suggests a favorable effect of olive oil and other vegetable oils on ovarian cancer in this Italian population.