Environment and Breast Cancer: Science Review


Evidence From Humans
 
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Anthropometric variables in relation to risk of breast cancer in middle-aged women
Li, C. I., Stanford, J. L., Daling, J. R. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2000. 29:2, 208-13.
Topic area
Body size
Study design
Population based case-control
Study Participants
Number of Cases
Cases: 479 (invasive and in situ)
Menopausal Status
The menopausal status of women included in this study is listed here.
Post menopausal
Number of Controls
Controls: 435
Participant selection: Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Criteria used to select participants in the study.
In: Caucasian women, age 50-64 years at baseline, resident of King County (Washington), had a residential telephone, and diagnosed with in situ or invasive breast cancer between 1/1/88 and 6/30/90 Ex: Premenopausal women at baseline, non-white women, and women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer
Comment about participation selection
Strengths: Study acquired data through in person interviews by trained interviewers Limitations: high level of non-response (18.6% for cases and 27% for controls), anthropometric data were self-reported, and study focused on a narrow age range (50-64 yrs)
Exposure Investigated
Exposures investigated
Height, age when max height attained, weight one year prior to reference date, weight at 18 yrs, weight change from 18 yrs to reference date, and BMI at reference date
How exposure was measured
Questionnaire, in person Anthropometric measurement, self-administered
Exposure assessment comment
Anthropometric data self-reported
Ethnic groups with separate analysis
If this study provided a separate analysis by ethnic or racial group, the groups are listed here.
Non-hispanic White Americans
Confounders considered
Other breast cancer risk factors, such as family history, age at first birth, and hormone replacement therapy use, that were taken into account in the study.
Adequately controlled, Confounders: age, height, family history of bc, parity, HRT use, age at menarche and oral contraceptive use
Genetic characterization included
If the study analyzed relationships between environmental factors and inherited genetic variations, this field will be marked “Yes.” “No”, if not.
No
Strength of associations reported
Association between postmenopausal breast cancer and height, > 67 in vs. < 62 in, OR=1.1(0.7-1.7)
Association between postmenopausal breast cancer and weight one year prior to reference date, >165 lbs vs. <129 lbs, OR=1.6(1.1-2.4)
Association between postmenopausal breast cancer and BMI at reference date, > 27.6 vs. < 21.5, OR=1.5(1.1-2.3)
Results Comments
Height unrelated to breast cancer risk.
Author address
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Public Health Sciences, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA.
Controls participation rate
Greater than 70% ( 73%)/does not account for scree