The relationship between folate intake and endometrial cancer risk is debatable.
Up to February 1, 2024, the authors conducted an extensive search using PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Stata 14 software was used to analyse the results of the article. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024505943), and the meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines.
9 case-control studies and 6 cohort studies were included, comprising 379,570 participants and 8660 cases of endometrial cancer.
The highest level of folate intake was associated with a 10% reduction in the occurrence of endometrial cancers (relative risk [RR] = 0.90, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.78-1.05, I2 = 63.2%) compared with the lowest level of intake. The association showed a statistically significant linear trend (P = 0.231), with a combined RR of 0.974 (95% CI: 0.968-0.981) for each daily intake of 50 micrograms of folate.
CONCLUSION: Folate intake may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.
