Glycemic load and endometrial cancer risk in a case-control study of Canadian women

•Glycemic load was assessed using a detailed, validated Canadian diet history questionnaire.•Intake of foods eliciting a glycemic response was not associated with endometrial cancer risk among Canadian women.•Glycemic load did not affect endometrial cancer risk regardless of body mass index or history of diabetes.

IntroductionThe evidence for a role of dietary carbohydrate intake with endometrial cancer risk is conflicting. We therefore evaluated the association between glycemic load (GL) and endometrial cancer in a population-based-case control study using a comprehensive quantitative food frequency questionnaire for the estimation of GL.MethodsDiet in the year before the reference date was assessed with the self-administered Canadian Diet History Questionnaire in 511 cases and 980 controls in Alberta, Canada between 2002 and 2006. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between GL and endometrial cancer risk, with non-linearity evaluated by the examination of cubic splines.ResultsThe risk for endometrial cancer did not change based on GL (for the highest versus lowest quartile, adjusted odds ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval = 0.52–1.46), even after the removal of participants previously diagnosed with diabetes ((diabetics n cases = 63, n controls = 55 excluded) adjusted odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.44–1.36). We observed no evidence of effect modification by Body Mass Index (BMI)(p-interaction term = 0.22).ConclusionsIntake of foods eliciting a glycemic response was not associated with endometrial cancer risk in this population of Canadian women.