Can higher intakes of certain foods lower ovarian cancer risk? New research in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that there may be a relationship between specific nutrients in fruits and vegetables and ovarian cancer.

Diet comparisons

Researchers identified more than 550 women with ovarian cancer. This group was compared with a group of healthy age-matched women living in the same area. The women completed questionnaires detailing how often they ate specific foods one year prior to either the diagnosis of cancer or, among those who did not have the disease, to the date of the interview. Researchers then calculated the participants' daily intakes of nutrients with an eye to those that might play a role in cancer prevention.

Women with high intakes of plant substances called carotenoids - alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene (from food and supplements) - and high intakes of vitamin A (from foods only) had a lower risk of ovarian cancer. High intakes of vitamins C, D, and E did not appear to lower the risk.

Raw carrots and tomato sauce were the specific foods linked to reduced ovarian cancer risk. Carrots are high in alpha-carotene and tomato sauce is rich in lycopene. Women who ate at least 2 or more one-half cup servings of tomato sauce per week had a 40% decrease in risk when compared with women eating it less than once per month. Those who consumed 5 or more servings of raw carrots per week had 54% less risk compared with women who ate them less than once a month.

One piece of a complex puzzle

The American Cancer Society estimates that in the year 2001, more than 23,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. Over 60% of these women will die from the disease. Given this low survival rate, prevention is key.

Some risk factors, including early age of menstruation, late menopause, or family history of ovarian cancer, can't be modified. One possible prevention strategy that can be controlled is diet. The authors of this study say that it's a bit early to suggest that changes in diet might affect the risk of ovarian cancer, since other studies of that relationship have produced mixed results.

What we do know

This study adds more strength to the widely accepted recommendation for cancer prevention of consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, especially those that are dark in color, like carrots and tomatoes. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. Regardless of the role that they may or may not have in ovarian cancer prevention, there is mounting evidence of their benefit.