Caloric restriction in animals is an effective way to reduce carcinogenesis. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is considered a model of extreme caloric restriction in humans. The aim of our study was to assess cancer incidence and mortality in women with AN. A total of 6,009 women with at least one inpatient treatment for AN during the period 1973-2003 were included in the study. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in cancer incidence compared to women in the general population. At a statistically significant or borderline significant level, a higher incidence for lung cancer and cancer of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue was observed along with a reduced breast cancer incidence. Women with AN had twice as high mortality from cancer in general, and more specifically from melanoma, cancers of genital organs and cancers of ill-defined, secondary and unspecified sites. The increased lung cancer incidence may be due to smoking habits among women with AN. The worse prognosis with higher mortality from melanoma, cancers of genital organs and cancers of ill-defined, secondary and unspecified sites may be explained by AN-specific attitudes toward seeking medical care, adherence to treatment or worse biological precondition due to starvation and cachexia. What's new? Caloric restriction without malnutrition is an effective means of reducing carcinogenesis in rodents, but whether the same is true in humans is unclear. Here, cancer incidence and mortality were assessed in 6,009 women with a history of anorexia nervosa, an extreme form of calorie restriction. The former, however, experienced an increased incidence of cancers of lymphoid tissues and lung cancer, possibly attributed to smoking, and a reduced incidence of breast cancer. Women with AN had twice as high mortality from cancer in general, and more specifically from melanoma, cancers of genital organs and cancers of ill-defined, secondary and unspecified sites. The findings could have implications for the care of anorexia nervosa patients.