Abstract
The concentrations of retinol and beta carotene were measured in serum samples taken from 113 women with cervical cancer, 32 with invasive and 81 with pre-invasive disease, and compared with those from 226 age-matched control women. There was little difference in serum retinol levels between women with cancer of the cervix, at any stage, and the control women, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Serum beta carotene concentrations were likewise similar in women with invasive disease and the controls. However mean beta carotene levels were significantly reduced in women with pre-invasive disease compared to the controls (221.3 cf. 291.6 micrograms l-1, P less than 0.05). This reduction was more evident amongst women with a diagnosis of carcinoma-in-situ (mean 213.1 micrograms l-1 than amongst those with severe dysplasia (mean 228.7 micrograms l-1. There is a negative trend between beta carotene and risk of pre-invasive disease which is of borderline significance. These data have also been used to investigate the effects of smoking and oral contraceptive usage on the serum levels of retinol and beta carotene. Both habits tend to increase retinol and decrease beta carotene concentrations.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harris, R., Forman, D., Doll, R. et al. Cancer of the cervix uteri and vitamin A. Br J Cancer 53, 653–659 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1986.109
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1986.109
This article is cited by
-
Serum carotenoids and vitamins and risk of cervical dysplasia from a case–control study in Japan
British Journal of Cancer (1999)
-
Nutrition and cervical neoplasia
Cancer Causes and Control (1996)
-
Diet and the risk of in situ cervical cancer among white women in the United States
Cancer Causes and Control (1991)
-
The role of vitamins in the etiology of cervical neoplasia: an epidemiological review
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics (1989)