Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States and often strikes with little advance warning. But new research shows that a healthy diet may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, particularly in African-American women.

The research, presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research on health disparities in Atlanta, offers a bright spot in the war on cancer, researchers said.

"Because there is currently no reliable screening available for ovarian cancer, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages," said lead researcher Bo (Bonnie) Qin, a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. "That highlights a critical need for identifying modifiable lifestyle factors, including dietary interventions."

Qin noted African-American women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed with the disease, but more likely to die from it. To assess whether an improved diet could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, Qin analyzed the diets of 415 women with ovarian cancer and 629 healthy others, using medical records of ovarian cancer patients in 11 sites in the United States.

The results show that women who most closely followed the healthy eating guidelines contained in the so-called Healthy Eating Index — reflecting the most recent nutritional research — were 34 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women who didn’t. For postmenopausal women, the benefits were even greater.

Qin noted the diet recommends high levels of total vegetables, greens, beans, seafood, and plant proteins, combined with lower intake solid fats, alcohol, added sugars, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

"As a high quality diet is likely to have benefits for many chronic conditions, it is probably a safe bet for better health in general," she said.