Epidemiology, genetics, and risk evaluation of postmenopausal women at risk of breast cancer. Menopause. 2008;15:782-789. [PMID: 18596599 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181788d88]

Evaluation of some proinflammatory cytokines and biochemical parameters in pre and postmenopausal breast cancer women

The study was planned to evaluate the differences in certain proinflammatory cytokines(IL-6, TNF-α) with CRP and biochemical parameters (E2, D3, LDH, GGT, TSB, Ca, Ph, uric acid), between women with pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer and seemingly healthy women in Iraqi women as controls; at medical city in teaching Oncology hospital,70 breast cancer patients women their ages ranged (47.51 ± 1.18) and 20 healthy women with age (44.45 ± 2.66) begun from September (2020) to February (2021). The aims of this study to investigate the evaluation of chemotherapy effects especially doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide only use in this study in pre and postmenopausal breast cancer women on proinflammatory cytokines(IL-6, TNF-α) with CRP and on biochemical parameters(E2, D3, LDH, GGT, TSB, Ca, Ph, uric acid) in pre and postmenapausal breast cancer women. The patients were divided into five groups and each group contains 14 patients women with breast cancer during pre and postmenopausal periods. The control groups were divided into 10 pre and 10 postmenopausal women(Fig. 1). The results of proinflammatory cytokines of and biochemical parameters in premenopausal groups were as the levels of IL-6 (pg/ml),TNF-α(pg/ml) and CRP (ng/ml) showed significant increase differences (P < 0.01)among breast cancer treated (BCT) groups in comparison with control groups,While the Liver enzymes GGT,LDH and TSB showed highly significant increase (P < 0.01) in BCT groups, Estrogen levels (pg/ml) and D3(ng/ml) increased significantly (P < 0.01)among BCT groups. Blood serum calcium and phosphorus with uric acid levels (mg/dl) showed significant difference (P < 0.01); While the result in postmenopausal of IL-6(pg/ml), TNF-α (pg/ml) and CRP (ng/ml) showed highly significant differences (P < 0.01)among BCT groups.While GGT(IU/L), LDH(IU/L) and TSB (mg/dl) enzymes were increased significantly (p < 0.01), Estrogen (pg/ml) and D3(ng/ml) levels showed significant increase (P < 0.01) among BCT groups.Blood calcium and phosphorus showed significant increase (P < 0.01) while uric acid was non-significant increase (P > 0.05).

The relationship between the insulinemic potential of diet and lifestyle and risk of breast cancer: a case-control study among iranian adult women

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer, with a higher mortality rate in women worldwide. We aimed to investigate the association of the insulinemic potential of diet and lifestyle with the odds of BC using empirical indices, including the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH), empirical lifestyle index for hyperinsulinemia (ELIH), the empirical dietary index for insulin resistance (EDIR), and empirical lifestyle index for insulin resistance (ELIR).

METHODS

This hospital-based case-control study was conducted among Tehranian adult women aged≥30 years. The final analysis was performed on 134 women newly diagnosed with histologically confirmed BC as a case and 267 healthy women of the same age as control. A 168-food item food frequency questionnaire was used for assessing dietary intakes at baseline. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of BC across tertiles of EDIH, ELIH, EDIR, and ELIR were determined using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression.

RESULTS

The mean ± SD of age and BMI of participants were 47.9±10.3 years and 29.4±5.5 kg/m2, respectively. EDIH score was related to the higher risk of BC based on fully adjusted models (OR:2.24;95%CI:1.21-4.12, P_trend=0.016). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed a higher BC risk with increasing EDIH score in postmenopausal women (OR:1.74, 95%CI:1.13-2.69) and those without a history of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use (OR:1.44;95%CI:1.02-2.04). Moreover, ELIH scores were positively associated with an increased risk of BC in postmenopausal women (OR; 1.98; 95% CI: 1.35 - 2.89), those with a family history of cancer (OR:1.94;95%CI:1.10-3.42), and in individuals who did not use OCP (OR:1.46; 95% CI:1.00-2.12).

CONCLUSION

Our results showed a possible link between EDIH and higher BC risk. Also, higher EDIH and ELIH scores were strongly associated with a higher risk of BC in postmenopausal women, those with a family history of BC, and those who do not use OCP.

Exploring Clinical Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Among American Indian Women

Objective

Very little is known about the breast cancer risk profile among American Indian women. Previous research shows that the proportion of American Indian/Alaska Native women with baseline characteristics (commonly known breast cancer risk factors) differs from other ethnicities. This retrospective case control study was designed to the explore the association of these factors among American Indian women with and without breast cancer.

Methods

Cases and controls were retrospectively selected from the medical records of American Indian women who obtained their health care from Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility (Indian Health Service) in Belcourt, ND. For each woman with breast cancer (n = 141), two controls were selected when possible (n = 278). Risk factors examined included woman's age, age at first live birth, age of menarche, the number of previous benign breast biopsies, the total number of first-degree relatives with breast cancer, body mass index and parity. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression.

Results

Many of the associations found among American Indian women who obtained their health care from Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility (Indian Health Service) in Belcourt, ND, between risk factors commonly identified in other populations and breast cancer were weakly positive. Nulliparity was the only risk factor to consistently show a positive significant association (OR = 2.87, 95% CI 1.16–0.7.12).

Conclusion

Disparities in breast cancer incidence, mortality and screening among Northern Plains American Indian emphasize the need to better understand the risk factors associated with breast cancer in this population. Based on the results of this study, the value of current risk prediction models in American Indian communities is uncertain and clinicians should be cautious in using these models to inform American Indian patients of their risk for breast cancer.

Disparities in timely treatment among young women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Although evidence suggests worse breast cancer-specific survival associated with treatment delay beyond 90 days, little is known regarding the sociodemographic predictors of delays in cancer-directed surgery among young women with breast cancer. This is particularly notable, given that 5-10% of new diagnoses occur in younger women aged <40 years, commonly with more aggressive features than in older women.

METHODS

We used the National Cancer Database (2004-2017) to assess sociodemographic disparities in delay of upfront surgery beyond 90 days among young women with non-metastatic breast cancer, using multivariable logistic regression and predictive marginal modeling.

RESULTS

Black women experienced treatment delays more frequently than white women (aOR: 1.93 [95% CI: 1.76-2.11], p < 0.001). Adjusted rates of treatment delay were 4.91% [95% CI: 4.51%-5.30%] and 2.60% [95% CI: 2.47%-2.74%] for Black and white women, respectively, and 2.97% [95% CI: 2.83%-3.12%], 2.36% [95% CI: 2.03%-2.68%], and 1.18% [95% CI: 0.54%-1.81%] for women from metro, urban, and rural areas, respectively.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that improving access to timely treatment may be leveraged as a means through which to lessen the breast cancer disparities experienced by Black women.

Effects of raloxifene administration on serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the clinical magnitude of raloxifene administration on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels.

METHODS

A systematic comprehensive search was performed without language limitation up to 14 December 2020. We included only trials that assessed the effect of raloxifene on IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in adults. Meta-analysis was performed using the Stata software (Stata Corp. College Station, Texas, USA).

RESULTS

Seven arms were included, encompassing postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, postmenopausal women with breast cancer, healthy postmenopausal women, and healthy elderly men. Raloxifene therapy significantly reduced IGF-1 levels (WMD: -2.92 nmol/L, 95% CI: -3.49, -2.35, p < 0.001) compared to placebo. Raloxifene dosage ˃60 mg/day (WMD: -3.29 ng/mL, 95% CI: -3.50 to -3.08, I² = 0.0%) decreased IGF-1 levels more than 60 mg/day (WMD: -2.29 ng/mL, 95% CI: -2.90 to -1.69, I² = 16%). Moreover, intervention duration ˃26 weeks (WMD: -3.48 ng/mL, 95% CI: -5.26 to -1.69, I² = 0.0%) reduced IGF-1 levels more than ˂26 weeks (WMD: -2.55 ng/mL, 95% CI: -3.31 to -1.79, I² = 92%). In contrast, overall results from the random-effects model did not suggest a significant change in IGFBP-3 levels upon raloxifene therapy.

CONCLUSION

Raloxifene therapy significantly reduced serum levels of IGF-1 levels but without changes in IGFPB-3 levels.

Night Work and Breast Cancer Risk in Nurses: Multifactorial Risk Analysis

Night work has been highlighted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a likely carcinogenic factor for humans, associated with breast cancer and professions that require continuity of work. Knowing the impact that short and long-term night work has on the nurses' collective seems a priority, therefore, this study aims to analyse the relationship between night work and the development of breast cancer risk factors in nurses. For this, a cross-sectional study through an online questionnaire on breast cancer risk variables and working life was designed. The study was conducted in Spain and the sample consisted of 966 nurses, of whom 502 were healthy participants and 56 were breast cancer patients. These two groups were compared in the analyses. A descriptive analysis was performed, and the relationship was tested using χ2 independence test and OR calculation. The CHAID (Chi Square Automatic Interaction Detection) data mining method allowed for the creation of a segmentation tree for the main risk variables. The most significant risk variables related to working life have been the number of years worked, nights worked throughout life, and years working more than 3 nights per month. Exceeding 16 years of work has been significant for women and men. When the time worked is less than 16 years, the number of cases increases if there is a family history of cancer and if there have been more than 500 nights of work. High-intensity night work seems more harmful at an early age. The accumulation of years and nights worked increase the risk of breast cancer when factors such as sleep disturbance, physical stress, or family responsibilities come together.

A review of nanotechnology-based approaches for breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in women. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in which the three major receptors i.e. estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), are absent is known to express the most aggressive phenotype and increased metastasis which results in the development of resistance to chemotherapy. It offers various therapeutic advantages in treating BC and TNBC. Nanotechnology offers various unique characteristics such as small size (nanometric), active and passive targeting, and the ability to attach multiple targeting moieties, controlled release, and site-specific targeting. This review focuses on conventional drug therapies, recent treatment strategies, and unique therapeutic approaches available for BC and TNBC. The role of breast cancer stem cells in the recurrence of BC and TNBC has also been highlighted. Several chemotherapeutic agents delivered using nanocarriers such as polymeric nanoparticles/micelles, metallic/inorganic NPs, and lipid-based NPs (Liposome, solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs)), etc. with excellent responses in the treatment of BC/TNBC along with breast cancer stem cells have been discussed in details. Moreover, the application of nanomedicine including CRISPR nanoparticle, exosomes for the treatment of BC/TNBC and other molecular targets available such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), etc. for further exploration have also been discussed.

Birth weight, weight over the adult life course and risk of breast cancer

Breast cancer has been suggested to potentially have prenatal origins. We examined associations between birth weight, body mass index (BMI) at four-time points over 25 years of adulthood, and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, with emphasis on whether the association between birth weight and risk of breast cancer was mediated by weight and height changes over the adult life course. Postmenopausal women (n = 70,397) aged 50-79 years without breast cancer at enrollment (1993-1998) were followed up to 25 years. Weight and height were measured at baseline. Birth weight, and weights at ages 18, 35 and 50 were self-reported. Breast cancer cases were centrally adjudicated. Compared to women with birth weight of 6-8 pounds, women with birth weight of <6 pounds had lower risk of breast cancer (HR = 0.88 95% CI: 0.79-0.99). 44% and 21% of the relationship between birth weight and breast cancer risk was mediated by adult height and weight at baseline, respectively. Birth weight of 8 pounds or more was not associated with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Weight gain in adulthood was associated with increased risk of breast cancer regardless of time periods. In conclusion, lower birthweight was associated with lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, and this reduction in risk was significantly mediated by childhood or adolescent growth, especially by adult height. Our data suggest that reaching and maintaining a healthy weight during adulthood is key in the prevention of breast cancer.

Association of serum leptin with breast cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that leptin is associated to the tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer (BC). However, these studies remain inconsistent. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the role of leptin in the patients with BC.

METHOD

A systematic search in PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases was conducted up to September 1, 2017. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied to pool the effect size. A funnel plot and Egger test were used to evaluate publication bias.

RESULTS

Finally, 43 eligible studies were included in the current meta-analysis. Overall, serum leptin levels in BC cases were significantly higher compared with the controls (SMD = 0.61, P <.0001). When subgroup analyses were restricted to ethnicity and menstrual status, higher serum leptin concentration was also detected in patients with BC. Moreover, BC cases with body mass index (BMI) >25 indicated significantly higher serum leptin levels (SMD = 1.48, P = .034). Furthermore, the BC cases with lymph node metastases showed significantly higher serum leptin concentration (SMD = 0.53, P = .015).

CONCLUSION

The present meta-analysis suggests that the serum leptin may profiles as a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of BC. In addition, leptin will provide useful information for a therapeutic target to treat BC.

Breast cancer development and progression: Risk factors, cancer stem cells, signaling pathways, genomics, and molecular pathogenesis

As the most commonly occurring cancer in women worldwide, breast cancer poses a formidable public health challenge on a global scale. Breast cancer consists of a group of biologically and molecularly heterogeneous diseases originated from the breast. While the risk factors associated with this cancer varies with respect to other cancers, genetic predisposition, most notably mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, is an important causative factor for this malignancy. Breast cancers can begin in different areas of the breast, such as the ducts, the lobules, or the tissue in between. Within the large group of diverse breast carcinomas, there are various denoted types of breast cancer based on their invasiveness relative to the primary tumor sites. It is important to distinguish between the various subtypes because they have different prognoses and treatment implications. As there are remarkable parallels between normal development and breast cancer progression at the molecular level, it has been postulated that breast cancer may be derived from mammary cancer stem cells. Normal breast development and mammary stem cells are regulated by several signaling pathways, such as estrogen receptors (ERs), HER2, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, which control stem cell proliferation, cell death, cell differentiation, and cell motility. Furthermore, emerging evidence indicates that epigenetic regulations and noncoding RNAs may play important roles in breast cancer development and may contribute to the heterogeneity and metastatic aspects of breast cancer, especially for triple-negative breast cancer. This review provides a comprehensive survey of the molecular, cellular and genetic aspects of breast cancer.

Transcriptome-Wide Association Study Identifies Susceptibility Loci and Genes for Age at Natural Menopause

OBJECTIVE

To identify novel susceptibility genes for age at natural menopause (ANM).

METHODS

Using transcription data generated in tissues from normal hypothalami (n = 73) and ovaries (n = 68) and high-density genotyping data provided by the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database, we built 16 164 genetic models to predict gene expression across the transcriptome in these tissues. We used these models and summary statistics data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of ANM generated in 69 360 women of European ancestry to identify genes with their predicted expression related to ANM.

RESULTS

We found the predicted expression of 34 genes to be significantly associated with ANM at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of P < 3.09 ×10^-6. These include 4 genes located more than 1 Mb away from any previously GWAS-identified ANM-associated variants, 24 genes that reside in known GWAS-identified loci but have not been previously implicated, and 6 genes previously implicated as ANM-associated genes.

CONCLUSION

Results from this transcriptome-wide association study, which integrated Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data with summary statistics of GWAS of ANM, improves our understanding of the genetics and biology of female reproductive aging.

Age at menarche and age at natural menopause in East Asian women: a genome-wide association study

Age at menarche (AM) and age at natural menopause (ANM) are complex traits with a high heritability. Abnormal timing of menarche or menopause is associated with a reduced span of fertility and risk for several age-related diseases including breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. To identify novel genetic loci for AM or ANM in East Asian women and to replicate previously identified loci primarily in women of European ancestry by genome-wide association studies (GWASs), we conducted a two-stage GWAS. Stage I aimed to discover promising novel AM and ANM loci using GWAS data of 8073 women from Shanghai, China. The Stage II replication study used the data from another Chinese GWAS (n = 1230 for AM and n = 1458 for ANM), a Korean GWAS (n = 4215 for AM and n = 1739 for ANM), and de novo genotyping of 2877 additional Chinese women. Previous GWAS-identified loci for AM and ANM were also evaluated. We identified two suggestive menarcheal age loci tagged by rs79195475 at 10q21.3 (beta = -0.118 years, P = 3.4 × 10^-6) and rs1023935 at 4p15.1 (beta = -0.145 years, P = 4.9 × 10^-6) and one menopausal age locus tagged by rs3818134 at 22q12.2 (beta = -0.276 years, P = 8.8 × 10^-6). These suggestive loci warrant a further validation in independent populations. Although limited by low statistical power, we replicated 19 of the 98 menarche loci and 5 of the 20 menopause loci previously identified in women of European ancestry in East Asian women, suggesting a shared genetic architecture for these two traits across populations.

Pattern of Breast Cancer Distribution in Ghana: A Survey to Enhance Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Background. Nearly 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana are in advanced stages of the disease due especially to low awareness, resulting in limited treatment success and high death rate. With limited epidemiological studies on breast cancer in Ghana, the aim of this study is to assess and understand the pattern of breast cancer distribution for enhancing early detection and treatment. Methods. We randomly selected and screened 3000 women for clinical palpable breast lumps and used univariate and bivariate analysis for description and exploration of variables, respectively, in relation to incidence of breast cancer. Results. We diagnosed 23 (0.76%) breast cancer cases out of 194 (6.46%) participants with clinically palpable breast lumps. Seventeen out of these 23 (0.56%) were premenopausal (<46.6 years) with 7 (0.23%) being below 35 years. With an overall breast cancer incidence of 0.76% in this study, our observation that about 30% of these cancer cases were below 35 years may indicate a relative possible shift of cancer burden to women in their early thirties in Ghana, compared to Western countries. Conclusion. These results suggest an age adjustment for breast cancer screening to early twenties for Ghanaian women and the need for a nationwide breast cancer screening to understand completely the pattern of breast cancer distribution in Ghana.

Hyperresistinemia and metabolic dysregulation: a risky crosstalk in obese breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. There is extensive literature on the relationship between body weight and breast cancer risk but some doubts still remain about the role of adipokines per se, the role of insulin and glucose regardless of obesity, as well as the crosstalk between these players. Thus, in this study, we intend to determine the relation between body mass index (BMI), glycaemia, insulinemia, insulin-resistance, blood adipokine levels and tumour characteristics in a Portuguese group of pre- and postmenopausal overweight/obese women with breast cancer. We evaluated clinical and biochemical data in 154 participants, divided in 4 groups: (1) control with BMI <25 kg/m(2), n = 29 (CT); (2) control with BMI >25 kg/m(2), n = 48 (CTOb); (3) breast cancer with BMI <25 kg/m(2), n = 30 (BC); and (4) breast cancer with BMI >25 kg/m(2), n = 47 (BCOb). In women with breast cancer, we also performed tumour characterization. We found that BCOb present increased fasting blood glucose, insulin, resistin and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, insulin resistance and more aggressive tumours. Notably, this profile is not correlated with BMI, proposing the involvement of other processes than adiposity. Altogether, our results suggest that glucose dysmetabolism, insulin resistance and changes in adipokine secretion, in particular resistin, may be involved in the development and progression of breast cancer in overweight/obese pre- and postmenopausal women.

Estrogen stimulated migration and invasion of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells involves an ezrin-dependent crosstalk between G protein-coupled receptor 30 and estrogen receptor beta signaling

Estrogen mediates important cellular activities in estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer cells via membrane associated G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30). However, the biological role and mechanism of estrogen action on cell motility and invasion in this aggressive kind of tumors remains poorly understood. We showed here that treatment with 17β-estradiol (E2) in ER-negative cancer cells resulted in ezrin-dependent cytoskeleton rearrangement and elicited a stimulatory effect on cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, E2 induced ezrin activation was mediated by distinct mechanisms in different cell contexts. In SK-BR-3 cells with a high GPR30/ERβ ratio, silencing of GPR30 was able to abolish E2 induced ERK1/2, AKT phosphorylation and ezrin activation, whereas in MDA-MB-231 cells with low GPR30/ERβ ratio, E2 stimulated ezrin activation was mediated by the ERβ/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Importantly, we showed that activation of GPR30 signaling significantly prevents ERβ activation induced ezrin phosphorylation, cell migration and invasion, indicating an antagonist effect between GPR30 and ERβ signaling in MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings highlight the important interplay between different estrogen receptors in estrogen induced cell motility and invasiveness in ER-negative breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer correlates in a cohort of breast screening program participants in Riyadh, KSA

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the first cancer among females in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accounting for 27.4% of all newly diagnosed female cancers in 2010. There are several risk factors affecting the incidence of breast cancer where some factors influence the risk more than the others.

AIM

We aimed to identify the different risk factors related to breast cancer among females participating in the breast-screening program in Riyadh, KSA.

METHODS

Based on data from phase-I of the breast-screening program, a case-control study was conducted on women living in Riyadh, KSA. A sample of 349 women (58 cases and 290 controls) was recruited to examine the different breast cancer correlates. Multivariate regression model was built to investigate the most important risk factors.

RESULTS

The mean age of cases was 48.5±7.1 years. Age at marriage, number of pregnancy, age at menopause, oral contraceptive pills, breast feeding and family history of breast cancer in first-degree relative were identified as the most important correlates among the studied cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the current work suggested that age at marriage, age at menopause ⩾50 years and 1st degree family history of breast cancer were risk factors for breast cancer, while, age at menopause <50 years, number of pregnancies and practicing breast feeding were protective factors against breast cancer. There was no effect of body mass index or physical inactivity. Further studies are needed to explore the hereditary, familial and genetic background risk factors in Saudi population.

Health disparities across the breast cancer continuum

OBJECTIVES

To provide a brief overview of disparities across the spectrum of breast cancer incidence, treatment, and long-term care during the survivorship period.

DATA SOURCES

Review of the literature including research reports, review articles, and clinically based articles available through PubMed and CINAHL.

CONCLUSION

Minority women generally experience worse breast cancer outcomes despite a lower incidence of breast cancer than whites. A variety of factors contribute to this disparity, including advanced stage at diagnosis, higher rates of aggressive breast cancer subtypes, and lower receipt of appropriate therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Disparities in breast cancer care also extend into the survivorship trajectory, including lower rates of endocrine therapy use among some minority groups, as well as differences in follow-up and survivorship care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Breast cancer research should include improved minority representation and analyses by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. While we cannot yet change the biology of this disease, we can encourage adherence to screening and treatment and help address the many physical, psychological, spiritual, and social issues minority women face in a culturally sensitive manner.

The prognostic value of intermedin in patients with breast cancer

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative plasma intermedin levels in breast cancer patients. Plasma intermedin levels of 252 breast cancer women and 100 healthy women were determined using radioimmunoassay kit. Adverse event was defined as first local recurrence, distant metastasis, second primary cancer of another organ, or death from any cause during 5-year follow-up. Disease-free survival was defined as the time between surgery and the date of any adverse event whichever appeared first. Overall survival was defined from surgery to death for any cause. The relationships between plasma intermedin levels and clinical outcomes of breast cancer patients were evaluated using multivariate analysis. The results showed that preoperative plasma intermedin levels were substantially higher in patients than in healthy subjects using t-test. Intermedin was identified as an independent predictor for 5-year mortality, adverse event, disease-free survival, and overall survival using multivariate analysis. Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, preoperative plasma intermedin levels had high predictive value for 5-year mortality and adverse event. In conclusion, preoperative plasma intermedin levels are highly associated with poor patient outcomes and intermedin may be a potential prognostic biomarker for patients with breast cancer.

Incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in Jiangsu, China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in Jiangsu Province of China.

METHODS

Incidence and mortality data for female breast cancer and corresponding population statistics from eligible cancer registries in Jiangsu from 2006 to 2010 were collected and analyzed. Crude rates, age-specific rates and age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality were calculated, and annual present changes (APCs) were estimated to describe the time trends.

RESULTS

From 2006 to 2010, 11,013 new cases and 3,068 deaths of female breast cancer were identified in selected cancer registry areas of Jiangsu. The annual average crude incidence and age-standardized incidence by world population (ASW) were 25.2/ and 17.9/100,000 respectively. The annual average crude and ASW for mortality rates were 7.03/ and 4.81/100,000. The incidence was higher in urban areas than that in rural areas, and this was consistent in all age groups. No significant difference was observed in mortality between urban and rural areas. Two peaks were observed when looking at age-specific rates, one at 50-59 years and another at over 85 years. During the 5 years, incidence and mortality increased with APCs of 4.47% and 6.89%, respectively. Compared to the national level, Jiangsu is an area with relatively low risk of female breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

Breast cancer has become a main public health problem among Chinese females. More prevention and control activities should be conducted to reduce the burden of this disease, even in relatively low risk areas like Jiangsu.

Micro-RNAs as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets in breast cancer: Quo vadis?

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent type of non skin cancer among women and a major leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Western countries. It is substantial to discover novel biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic or predictive usefulness as well as therapeutic value for BC. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) belong to a novel class of endogenous interfering RNAs that play a crucial role in post transcriptional gene silencing through mRNA targeting and, thus, are involved in many biological processes encompassing apoptosis, cell-cycle control, cell proliferation, DNA repair, immunity, metabolism, stress, aging, etc. MiRNAs exert their action mainly in a tumor suppressive or oncogenic manner. The specific aberrant expression patterns of miRNAs in BC that are detected with the use of high-throughput technologies reflect their key role in cancer initiation, progression, migration, invasion and metastasis. The detection of circulating extracellular miRNAs in plasma of BC patients may provide novel, non-invasive biomarkers in favor of BC diagnosis and prognosis and, at the same time, accumulating evidence has underscored the possible contribution of miRNAs as valuable biomarkers to predict response to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Data from in vitro and in vivo studies on BC have revealed promising therapeutic approaches via miRNA delivery and miRNA inhibition. The purpose of this review is to explore the ontological role of miRNAs in BC etiopathogenesis as well as to highlight their potential, not only as non-invasive circulating biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic significance, but also as treatment response predictors and therapeutic targets aiding BC management.

Hyperresistinemia is associated with postmenopausal breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

The constellation of obesity, insulin resistance, and serum adipocytokine levels is associated with the risk and prognosis of postmenopausal breast cancer (PBC). Altered secretion of resistin may underlie the association between overweight/obesity and PBC. We thus explored the association of serum resistin with PBC, taking into account established risk factors, including adipokines and anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory markers.

METHODS

In a case-control study, we studied 102 postmenopausal women with pathologically confirmed, incident invasive breast cancer and 102 control participants matched on age and time of diagnosis between 2003 and 2010 at the Veterans' Administration General Hospital of Athens (NIMTS Hospital). Serum resistin, adiponectin, leptin, metabolic (homeostasis model assessment score of insulin resistance) and inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) parameters, and tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 15-3) were determined.

RESULTS

The mean serum resistin level was significantly higher in case participants than in control participants (P < 0.001) in both univariate and multivariable analyses, adjusting for age, date of diagnosis, education, family history of cancer, use of exogenous hormones, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, reproductive markers, metabolic markers, anthropometric (body mass index and weight circumference) markers, inflammatory markers, and adipokines (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.34; P = 0.02). In case participants, resistin level correlated significantly with tumor markers and inflammatory parameters, but not with metabolic and anthropometric variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Further prospective, longitudinal, and mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether hyperresistinemia is involved in the development of PBC or reflects changes during PBC progression and therefore could be used as a biomarker for PBC. Targeting resistin inhibition could be an effective therapeutic strategy in breast cancer by down-regulating the inflammatory microenvironment in breast tissue.

Preoperative serum visfatin levels and prognosis of breast cancer among Chinese women

Visfatin is identified a pro-inflammatory cytokine and its serum level is increased in various cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum visfatin level in breast cancers. Preoperative serum visfatin levels of 248 patients with breast cancer and serum visfatin levels of 100 healthy individuals and 100 benign women controls were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Unfavorable outcome was defined as first local recurrence, distant metastasis, second primary cancer of another organ, or death from any cause. Disease-free survival was defined as the time between surgery and the date of unfavorable outcome whichever appeared first. Overall survival was defined from surgery to death for any cause. The association of serum visfatin level with outcomes including mortality, unfavorable outcome, disease-free survival and overall survival was investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Preoperative serum visfatin level was substantially higher in patients than in healthy subjects and benign controls respectively. Elevated preoperative serum level of visfatin was identified an independent predictor of mortality, unfavorable outcome, disease-free survival and overall survival. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that serum level visfatin had high predictive value for mortality and unfavorable outcome. Thus, our results suggest that high preoperative serum visfatin level is associated with poor patient outcomes as well as may play a role as prognostic biomarker in breast cancer survival.

Disparities in breast cancer treatment and outcomes: biological, social, and health system determinants and opportunities for research

Racial disparities in breast cancer mortality have been widely documented for several decades and persist despite advances in receipt of mammography across racial groups. This persistence leads to questions about the roles of biological, social, and health system determinants of poor outcomes. Cancer outcomes are a function not only of innate biological factors but also of modifiable characteristics of individual behavior and decision making as well as characteristics of patient-health system interaction and the health system itself. Attempts to explain persistent racial disparities have mostly been limited to discussion of differences in insurance coverage, socioeconomic status, tumor stage at diagnosis, comorbidity, and molecular subtype of the tumor. This article summarizes existing literature exploring reasons for racial disparities in breast cancer mortality, with an emphasis on treatment disparities and opportunities for future research. Because breast cancer care requires a high degree of multidisciplinary team collaboration, ensuring that guideline recommended treatment (such as endocrine therapy for hormone receptor positive patients) is received by all racial/ethnic groups is critical and requires coordination across multiple providers and health care settings. Recognition that variation in cancer care quality may be correlated with race (and socioeconomic and health system factors) may assist policy makers in identifying strategies to more equally distribute clinical expertise and health infrastructure across multiple user populations.

Breast cancer risk factors in a defined population: weighted logistic regression approach for rare events

Purpose

This study aimed to determine out risk factors for female breast cancer in a low socioeconomic population in Iran.

Methods

Between 2007 and 2009, a total of 25,592 women who were ensured by the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation participated in this screening program. The characteristics of patients diagnosed with breast cancer (n=111) were compared with those of control cases (n=25,481). In this study, we used relogit analysis (rare event logistic regression) with a weighting method using program Zelig.

Results

Of 25,592 women, 3.9/1,000 had breast cancer, from which 38 were diagnosed during screening and 73 had already been diagnosed. The mean and standard deviation of age in breast cancer patients and in healthy controls were 49.18±8.86 years and 46.65±9.40 years, respectively. The findings based on the multivariate model revealed that the past history of ovarian cancer, hormone therapy, and first relatives with breast cancer were associated with increased risk for breast cancer. However, the use of oral contraceptive pills was found to be associated with reduced risk for breast cancer.

Conclusion

Due to the rarity of the event in the population, relogit with a weighting method was used to investigate the major risk factors for breast cancer. These factors include oral contraceptive pill use, a history of ovarian cancer of the person under study, first relatives with breast cancer and hormone therapy.

Do reproductive factors influence T, N, and M classes of ductal and lobular breast cancers? A nation-wide follow-up study

BACKGROUNDS

The clinical tumor-node-metastasis (T, N and M) classes of breast cancers provide important prognostic information. However, the possible association of TNM classes with reproductive factors has remained largely unexplored. Because every woman has a reproductive history, implications to outcome prediction are potentially significant.

METHODS

During the study period from 2002 through 2008, 5,614 pre- and 27,310 postmenopausal patients were identified in the Swedish Family-Cancer Database. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for TNM classes of breast cancers by histology. The reproductive variables were parity, age at first and last childbirth and time interval between first and last childbirth.

RESULTS

Among postmenopausal patients, the ORs for high-T class (T2-T4) (tumor size ≥2 cm) and metastasis were decreased by parity. A late age at first and last childbirth associated with high-T class and the effects were higher for lobular (OR for late age at first childbirth  = 2.85) than ductal carcinoma. Overall, long time interval between first and last childbirth was related to high-T class and metastasis. However, a short time interval between first and last childbirth in patients with late age at first or last childbirth increased the risk of metastasis. Late age at last childbirth was associated with increased occurrence of lobular carcinoma in situ. Among premenopausal ductal carcinoma patients, nulliparity and early age at first childbirth were associated with high-T class.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing parity was protective against high-T class and metastasis; late ages at first and last childbirth were risk factors for high-T class in postmenopausal breast cancers. The current decline in parity and delayed age at first childbirth in many countries may negatively influence prognosis of breast cancer.

Higher-status occupations and breast cancer: a life-course stress approach

Using the 1957-2011 data from 3682 White non-Hispanic women (297 incident breast cancer cases) in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, United States, we explore the effect of occupation in 1975 (at age 36) on breast cancer incidence up to age 72. Our study is motivated by the paradoxical association between higher-status occupations and elevated breast cancer risk, which presents a challenge to the consistent health advantage of higher social class. We found that women in professional occupations had 72122% and women in managerial occupations had 57-89% higher risk of a breast cancer diagnosis than housewives and women in lower-status occupations. We explored an estrogen-related pathway (reproductive history, health behaviors, and life-course estrogen cycle) as well as a social stress pathway (occupational experiences) as potential explanations for the effect of higher-status occupations. The elevated risk of breast cancer among professional women was partly explained by estrogen-related variables but remained large and statistically significant. The association between managerial occupations and breast cancer incidence was fully explained by job authority defined as control over others' work. Exercising job authority was related to higher breast cancer risk (HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.18), especially with longer duration of holding the professional/managerial job. We suggest that the assertion of job authority by women in the 1970s involved stressful interpersonal experiences that may have promoted breast cancer development via prolonged dysregulation of the glucocorticoid system and exposure of the breast tissue to adverse effects of chronically elevated cortisol. Our study emphasizes complex biosocial pathways through which women's gendered occupational experiences become embodied and drive forward physiological repercussions.

Serum resistin: a biomarker of breast cancer in postmenopausal women? Association with clinicopathological characteristics, tumor markers, inflammatory and metabolic parameters

OBJECTIVE

Previous few studies have shown that resistin is significantly elevated in breast cancer (BC) patients. Therefore, we investigated whether serum resistin could be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for postmenopausal BC (PBC), taking into account clinicopathological features, serum tumor markers, anthropometric, metabolic, and, for the first time, inflammatory parameters.

METHODS

Serum resistin, tumor markers (CA 15-3 and CEA), metabolic, anthropometric and inflammatory parameters (TNF-α, IL-6, hsCRP) were determined in 103 postmenopausal women with incident, pathologically confirmed, invasive BC, 103 controls matched on age and time of diagnosis, and 51 patients with benign breast lesions (BBL).

RESULTS

Mean serum resistin was significantly higher in cases than in controls and patients with BBL (p<0.001). In patients, resistin was significantly associated with tumor and inflammatory markers, cancer stage, tumor size, grade and lymph node invasion but not with anthropometric, metabolic parameters and hormone receptor status. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that serum IL-6 (p=0.02) and cancer stage (p=0.048) were the strongest determinants of serum resistin in cases adjusting for demographic, metabolic and clinicopathological features. Although resistin's diagnostic performance was low based on ROC curve analysis [0.72, 95% CI: 0.64-0.79], it could, however, represent a BC biomarker reflecting advanced disease stage and inflammatory state.

CONCLUSION

Further prospective and longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate whether serum resistin could be used as a prognostic tool in BC monitoring and management. More research is essential to elucidate resistin's ontological role in the association between obesity, representing a chronic low-grade subclinical inflammation, and PBC.

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl-transferase/visfatin: a missing link between overweight/obesity and postmenopausal breast cancer? Potential preventive and therapeutic perspectives and challenges

Worldwide breast cancer (BC) constitutes a significant public health concern. Excess body weight is associated with postmenopausal BC (PBC) risk. Recent studies have shown that the constellation of obesity, insulin resistance and serum adipokine levels are associated with the risk and prognosis of PBC. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl-transferase (Nampt), also known as visfatin and pre-B-cell-colony-enhancing factor, found in the visceral fat, represents a novel pleiotropic adipokine acting as a cytokine, a growth factor and an enzyme. It plays an important role in a variety of metabolic and stress responses as well as in the cellular energy metabolism, particularly NAD biosynthesis. Nampt exhibits proliferative, anti-apoptotic, pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties. Nampt's insulin-mimetic function remains a controversial issue. Circulating Nampt levels are increased in obese women. Also, Nampt levels are significantly elevated in women suffering from PBC than in healthy controls independently from known risk factors of BC, anthropometric and metabolic parameters as well as serum concentrations of well known adipokines. High expression of Nampt in BC tissues was reported to be associated with more malignant cancer behavior as well as adverse prognosis. Taking into account the mitogenicity of Nampt as well as its proliferative, anti-apoptotic and pro-angiogenic properties, a novel hypothesis is proposed whereas Nampt may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of PBC and may represent a missing link between overweight/obesity and PBC. Nampt could exert its effects on the normal and neoplastic mammary tissue by endocrine and paracrine mechanisms; Nampt could also be secreted by tumor epithelial cells in an autocrine manner. It could stimulate mammary epithelial cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis, which is essential for BC development and progression. Serum Nampt might be a novel risk factor as well as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in PBC. In addition, pharmacologic agents that neutralize biochemically Nampt or medications that decrease Nampt levels or downregulate signaling pathways downstream of Nampt may prove to be useful anti-cancer agents. The potential harmful effect on PBC risk due to vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid, a natural NAD precursor in the biosynthetic route leading to NAD) intake is speculated for the first time. In this hypothesis, the role of Nampt in BC carcinogenesis and progression is explored as well as the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie the association between Nampt and PBC in the context of a dysfunctional adipose tissue in obesity. Understanding of these mechanisms may be important for the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies against PBC.

Elevated serum visfatin/nicotinamide phosphoribosyl-transferase levels are associated with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer independently from adiponectin, leptin, and anthropometric and metabolic parameters

OBJECTIVE

Obesity has been implicated in the etiology of postmenopausal breast cancer (PBC). We hypothesized that altered secretion of visfatin may underlie this association. We thus investigated the association of serum visfatin with PBC risk, taking into account known risk factors including adipokines and anthropometric and metabolic parameters.

METHODS

In a case-control study, we studied 102 postmenopausal women with pathologically confirmed, incident invasive breast cancer and 102 control women matched on age and time of diagnosis between 2003 and 2010 at Army Share Fund Hospital, Veterans' Hospital (NIMTS). Levels of serum visfatin, adiponectin, leptin, metabolic parameters, carcinoembryonic antigen, and CA 15-3 were determined.

RESULTS

The mean serum visfatin level was significantly higher in case than in control participants (P < 0.001). Women in the highest quartile of visfatin concentration presented significantly higher odds for PBC, adjusting for age, date of diagnosis, education, body mass index, waist circumference, years with menstruation, parity/age at first full-term pregnancy, breast-feeding, family history of cancer, use of exogenous hormones, alcohol consumption, smoking status, homeostasis model assessment score, and serum leptin and adiponectin concentrations (odds ratio, 7.93; 95% CI, 2.52-24.9). In case participants, the visfatin level correlated significantly with the tumor marker CA 15-3 (P = 0.03) but not with metabolic and anthropometric variables (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether an elevated serum visfatin level is implicated in the etiopathogenesis of PBC or reflects changes during PBC progression and could therefore be used as a biomarker for PBC.

Could serum visfatin be a potential biomarker for postmenopausal breast cancer?

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have shown that visfatin is significantly elevated in patients with gastric carcinoma and postmenopausal breast cancer (PBC). We thus explored whether serum visfatin could be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for PBC, taking into account clinicopathological features, serum tumor markers, anthropometric and metabolic parameters.

METHODS

Serum visfatin, tumor marker CA 15-3, carcinoembryonic antigen, metabolic and anthropometric parameters were determined in 103 postmenopausal women with pathologically confirmed, incident invasive breast cancer, 103 controls matched on age and time of diagnosis, and 51 patients with benign breast lesions (BBL).

RESULTS

Mean serum visfatin was significantly higher in cases than in controls and patients with BBL (p<0.001). In cases, visfatin was significantly associated with CA 15-3 (p=0.03), hormone-receptor status (p<0.001), lymph node invasion (p=0.06) but not with metabolic and anthropometric variables (p>0.05). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER-PR-) was the strongest significant determinant of serum visfatin (p<0.001) in cases adjusting for demographic, metabolic and clinicopathological features. Based upon receiver operator characteristic analysis, serum visfatin outperformed CA 15-3 only in discriminating between PBC cases with early cancer stage than those with late stage, and in differentiating particularly patients with ER-PR- breast tumors.

CONCLUSION

Further prospective and longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether serum visfatin could be used as a prognostic tool in the armamentarium of PBC monitoring and management in conjunction with other biomarkers.

Risk for second primary non-breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women with breast cancer not treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or endocrine therapy

INTRODUCTION

We investigated the risk for a second primary cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women with breast cancer treated by surgery alone, to assess the importance of non-treatment factors and menopausal status.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The cohort comprised 14,151 women with breast cancer diagnosed during 1977-2006, who did not receive radiotherapy or systemic adjuvant therapy. They were identified in the nationwide clinical database of the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group. The women were followed for a second primary cancer other than breast cancer in the Danish Cancer Registry, and risk was quantified as standardised incidence ratios (SIRs).

RESULTS

Women with breast cancer diagnosed before menopause had an 18% greater overall risk for a second primary non-breast cancer than the general female population (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.32). The excess was confined to cancers of the endometrium (1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0) and ovaries (1.8; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4). Rare histological subtypes of breast cancer were associated with these two cancer sites. Women with breast cancer after menopause had no overall excess risk for a second cancer (SIR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.92-1.04).

CONCLUSION

An excess risk for second non-breast cancers related to non-treatment factors is seen primarily in breast cancer patients who were premenopausal at diagnosis.

Does a higher ratio of serum calcium to magnesium increase the risk for postmenopausal breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among United States (US) women. Established risk factors explain only about 13% of breast cancer incidence among women in the US. Thus, the cause of most cases of breast cancer remains unknown. In postmenopausal women, serum calcium (Ca) and serum magnesium (Mg) play an important role in skeletal health, cell proliferation and cancer. Mg is essential for DNA duplication and repair and Mg deficiency favors DNA mutations leading to carcinogenesis. Dietary intake of Mg in the US is less than the recommended amount, and the deficit is more pronounced in older individuals where gastrointestinal and renal mechanisms for Mg conservation are not as efficient. Furthermore, healthy postmenopausal women are frequently recommended to take supplemental Ca, but not Mg and vitamin D to maintain bone and overall health. Most women with hormone sensitive breast cancer are recommended to take aromatase inhibitors, which causes bone loss and thus are generally prescribed Ca and vitamin D, but not Mg. Although the association between serum Ca and breast cancer risk remains controversial, we hypothesize that this may be because Mg levels have not been accounted for. Mg level directly influences transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) related Ca influx, calcium-adenosine triphosphatase (Ca-ATP) levels, and cell proliferation, and thereby could lead to cancer. Thus a high serum Ca/Mg ratio is more appropriate and alterations in this ratio could lead to increased development of new and recurrent breast cancer.

Access to mammography screening in a large urban population: a multi-level analysis

Objective

To understand area-based sociodemographics, physician and medical practice characteristics, and community indicators associated with mammography use in Los Angeles County. An earlier multi-level analysis by Gumpertz et al. found that distance to the nearest mammography facility helped explain the higher proportion of Latinas diagnosed with late stage breast cancer compared with non-Latina Whites in Los Angeles County. Our study examined whether Latinas also have lower rates of mammography use.

Methods

We used a multi-level spatial modeling approach to examine individual and community level associations with mammography use among a diverse group of women aged 40–84 years in Los Angeles County. To build our multi-level spatial data set, we integrated five data sources: (1) 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data, (2) 2001 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified mammography facility data, (3) 2003 LA Transit Authority data, (4) 2000 US Decennial Census data, and (5) 2001 Community Tracking Study (CTS) Physician’s Survey data.

Results

Our study confirmed for Los Angeles County many associations for mammography use found in other locations. An unexpected finding was that women with limited English proficiency (predominantly Latina) were significantly more likely to have had a recent mammogram than English-proficient women. We also found that, after controlling for other factors, mammography use was higher in neighborhoods with a greater density of mammography facilities.

Conclusion

Women with limited English proficiency were especially likely to report recent mammography in Los Angeles. This unexpected finding suggests that the intensive Spanish-language outreach program conducted by the Every Woman Counts (EWC) Program in low-income Latina communities in Los Angeles has been effective. Our study highlights the success of this targeted community-based outreach conducted between 1999 and 2001. These are the same populations that Gumpertz et al. identified as needing intervention. It would be useful to conduct another study of late-stage diagnosis in Los Angeles County to ascertain whether increased rates of mammography have also led to less late-stage diagnosis among Latinas in the neighborhoods where they are concentrated in Los Angeles.

Breast cancer risk factors in Turkish women--a University Hospital based nested case control study

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer has been increased in developing countries, but there are limited data for breast cancer risk factors in these countries. To clarify the risk for breast cancer among the Turkish women, an university hospital based nested case-control study was conducted.

METHODS

Between January 2000 and December 2006, a survey was prospectively conducted among women admitted to clinics of Istanbul Medical Faculty for examination and/or treatment by using a questionnaire. Therefore, characteristics of patients diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 1492) were compared with control cases (n = 2167) admitted to hospital for non-neoplastic, non-hormone related diseases.

RESULTS

Breast cancer risk was found to be increased in women with age (> or = 50) [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.42-3.18], induced abortion (95% CI 1.13-1.53), age at first birth (> or = 35) (95% CI 1.62-5.77), body mass index (BMI > or = 25) (95% CI 1.27-1.68), and a positive family history (95% CI 1.11-1.92). However, decreased breast cancer risk was associated with the duration of education (> or = 13 years) (95% CI 0.62-0.81), presence of spontaneous abortion (95% CI 0.60-0.85), smoking (95% CI 0.61-0.85), breast feeding (95% CI 0.11-0.27), nulliparity (95% CI 0.92-0.98), hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (95% CI 0.26-0.47), and oral contraceptive use (95% CI 0.50-0.69). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, age (> or = 50) years (OR 2.61, 95% CI 2.20-3.11), induced abortion (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.38-1.99), and oral contraceptive use (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48-0.74) were found to be associated with breast cancer risk as statistically significant independent factors.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that age and induced abortion were found to be significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk whereas oral contraceptive use was observed to be associated with decreased breast cancer risk among Turkish women in Istanbul.