Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk Through Diet
In 2011, over 20,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and over 13,000 will die of the disease. Only half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will live beyond 5 years following diagnosis. This is partly because it is very difficult to detect ovarian cancer early, making prevention of this deadly disease especially important. Our goal is to determine if certain dietary factors may alter risk of ovarian cancer. In this project we propose to look at the amount and type of fat a woman eats and her cholesterol levels, since these factors can be changed to reduce risk.
A diet high in saturated fat, from foods like red meat, and trans fat, found in partially hydrogenated oils like margarine, increases women’s LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. But, a diet high in unsaturated fats, such as those found in vegetable oils, seafood, and nuts, decreases LDL cholesterol levels and increases HDL or “good” cholesterol levels. Fat intake and cholesterol levels may not only impact the risk of diseases like heart disease, but may also influence ovarian cancer risk.
Q. Why did you want to become a medical researcher? In the 10th grade, I took a biology course with a teacher who made discovery in science so exciting! Ever since that time I wanted to learn more and try to answer puzzling questions in science. I wanted to ultimately work in a field that more directly affected people and their lives. I was lucky enough to meet an epidemiologist during my senior year of college and work with her on an exercise intervention trial in women. I enjoyed interacting with the study participants and with a team of exercise physiologists, statisticians, programmers, and laboratory collaborators. Epidemiology – the study of what causes and prevents disease in humans – was the perfect fit for me!
Q. Why did you choose to focus on cancer prevention? Cancer is an extremely difficult disease in many ways, in large part because there are relatively few treatments for this disease. What if we could prevent people from getting cancer in the first place? How could we do it? These questions have driven me to learn more about how cancer develops and what we might be able to do to stop that development. Wouldn't the world be a better place if fewer people were ever diagnosed with cancer! The work of researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital aims to make this a reality. I hope that I can make an important contribution to this effort.
Q. How does the thought of preventing cancer make you feel? When I think of the women in my study and around the world who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I am saddened because with more research we might be able to have prevented these women from ever having to face this disease. I want to work hard to help prevent ovarian cancer from affecting future generations. I am hopeful that with targeted research efforts we can learn how to prevent a large proportion of the most aggressive ovarian cancers. The reason for my hope is twofold – first, women with ovarian cancer are participating in research studies that will help their daughters and granddaughters and second, ovarian cancer researchers from around the world are working together in an unprecedented manner to beat this disease!
Q. Do you think cancer will be able to be prevented in your lifetime? I think we can make important inroads on defeating ovarian cancer in our lifetime. With a new focus on the most aggressive forms of the disease, there is a large potential to make important advances in preventing this disease. The key is for researchers and patients to continue to work together.
http://giving.brighamandwomens.org/ccp_dr_tworoger
Shelley Tworoger, PhD and her team investigate relationships between ovarian cancer, cholesterol levels, and diets in order to establish dietary recommendations to decrease ovarian cancer risk.
