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Dairy food and nutrient intake in different life periods in relation to risk of ovarian cancer

Cancer Causes & Control

Melissa A. Merritt, Elizabeth M. Poole, Susan E. Hankinson, Walter C. Willett and Shelley S. Tworoger

Corresponding author: Melissa Merritt, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London; E-mail:

Supplemental Table S1. Adjusted Hazard Ratios (HRs) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) associated with the cumulative average intake of dairy nutrients or milk (2-6 years between exposure and outcome) during premenopausal or postmenopausal time periods in the NHS/NHSII

Category of intakea
Premenopausal diet- EOC overall
Dairy nutrients / Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 / Ptrendb
Lactose (g/d)
Cases, n / 134 / 98 / 91 / 87
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.82 (0.63-1.07) / 0.80 (0.61-1.05) / 0.88 (0.67-1.17) / 0.42
Dairy calcium (mg/d)
Cases, n / 122 / 115 / 91 / 82
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.04 (0.81-1.35) / 0.88 (0.66-1.16) / 0.92 (0.69-1.22) / 0.38
Dairy fat (g/d)
Cases, n / 110 / 91 / 110 / 99
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.86 (0.65-1.14) / 1.03 (0.79-1.35) / 0.90 (0.69-1.19) / 0.72
Dairy foods / <4/month / 1/wk / 2-4/wk / 5+/wk
Skim/low fat milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 117 / 62 / 82 / 128
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.90 (0.66-1.24) / 0.97 (0.72-1.29) / 0.76 (0.59-1.00) / 0.04
Whole milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 308 / 43 / 18 / 20
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.09 (0.79-1.52) / 0.82 (0.50-1.33) / 0.88 (0.55-1.41) / 0.49
Premenopausal diet- premenopausal EOC
Dairy nutrients / Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
Lactose (g/d)
Cases, n / 52 / 46 / 34 / 40
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.95 (0.63-1.43) / 0.78 (0.50-1.21) / 0.99 (0.65-1.52) / 0.85
Dairy calcium (mg/d)
Cases, n / 47 / 50 / 36 / 39
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.19 (0.79-1.80) / 0.92 (0.59-1.43) / 1.13 (0.73-1.75) / 0.84
Dairy fat (g/d)
Cases, n / 43 / 36 / 48 / 45
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.85 (0.54-1.33) / 1.13 (0.74-1.71) / 1.09 (0.72-1.67) / 0.45
Dairy foods / <4/month / 1/wk / 2-4/wk / 5+/wk
Skim/low fat milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 44 / 23 / 33 / 62
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.92 (0.54-1.55) / 0.95 (0.59-1.53) / 0.74 (0.49-1.12) / 0.13
Whole milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 131 / 15 / 6 / 10
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.27 (0.73-2.21) / 0.79 (0.34-1.82) / 1.06 (0.54-2.11) / 0.93

Supplemental Table S1 (continued). Adjusted Hazard Ratios (HRs) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) associated with the cumulative average intake of dairy nutrients or milk (2-6 years between exposure and outcome) during premenopausal or postmenopausal time periods in the NHS/NHSII

Category of intakea
Premenopausal diet- postmenopausal EOC
Dairy nutrients / Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
Lactose (g/d)
Cases, n / 71 / 46 / 51 / 42
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.67 (0.46-0.98) / 0.78 (0.54-1.13) / 0.77 (0.52-1.14) / 0.31
Dairy calcium (mg/d)
Cases, n / 68 / 52 / 53 / 37
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.78 (0.54-1.12) / 0.85 (0.59-1.22) / 0.73 (0.48-1.10) / 0.18
Dairy fat (g/d)
Cases, n / 59 / 51 / 52 / 48
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.84 (0.58-1.23) / 0.86 (0.59-1.25) / 0.87 (0.59-1.28) / 0.55
Dairy foods / <4/month / 1/wk / 2-4/wk / 5+/wk
Skim/low fat milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 63 / 37 / 44 / 56
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.00 (0.66-1.50) / 1.04 (0.70-1.54) / 0.77 (0.53-1.12) / 0.14
Whole milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 154 / 26 / 10 / 10
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.06 (0.69-1.63) / 0.72 (0.36-1.42) / 0.83 (0.43-1.61) / 0.43
Postmenopausal diet- postmenopausal EOC
Dairy nutrients / Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 / Ptrendb
Lactose (g/d)
Cases, n / 125 / 135 / 110 / 102
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.04 (0.81-1.33) / 0.83 (0.64-1.08) / 0.81 (0.62-1.06) / 0.05
Dairy calcium (mg/d)
Cases, n / 125 / 129 / 118 / 100
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.01 (0.79-1.30) / 0.90 (0.70-1.17) / 0.83 (0.63-1.08) / 0.11
Dairy fat (g/d)
Cases, n / 116 / 126 / 131 / 99
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 1.04 (0.81-1.35) / 1.12 (0.86-1.45) / 0.91 (0.69-1.20) / 0.53
Dairy foods / <4/month / 1/wk / 2-4/wk / 5+/wk
Skim/low fat milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 122 / 75 / 92 / 169
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.92 (0.69-1.24) / 0.83 (0.63-1.09) / 0.76 (0.59-0.97) / 0.02
Whole milk (8 oz glass)
Cases, n / 365 / 41 / 29 / 23
Multivariate modelc / 1.00 (Ref) / 0.92 (0.66-1.28) / 1.25 (0.85-1.84) / 1.11 (0.72-1.71) / 0.45

aData are Hazard Ratios (95% CI) unless indicated otherwise.

bP-value test for trend using a trend variable based on the median value from each category.

c Multivariate models were adjusted for total caloric intake (continuous) during premenopause or postmenopause as applicable, number of pregnancies (continuous) and parity (ever/never), oral contraceptive pill use (0, <1 yr (ref), 1 - <5 yrs, ≥ 5 yrs), tubal ligation and family history of ovarian cancer (yes vs no). The analysis of EOC overall was additionally adjusted for menopausal status (post vs pre/perimenopausal). All models were stratified by age in months, cohort and time period.

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