Environment and Breast Cancer: Science Review


Evidence From Humans
 
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Height, weight, weight change and risk of breast cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
de Vasconcelos, A. B., Azevedo e Silva Mendonca, G., Sichieri, R. Sao Paulo Medical Journal = Revista Paulista de Me. 2001. 119:2, 62-6.
Topic area
Body size
Study design
Hospital based case-control
Funding agency
Other: Pan-American Health Organization
Study Participants
Number of Cases
177 (invasive only) (41 pre) (131 post)
Menopausal Status
The menopausal status of women included in this study is listed here.
Pre menopausal
Number of Controls
Control: 377 (76 pre) (262 post)
Participant selection: Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Criteria used to select participants in the study.
In: women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 5/95 and 2/96 at the main hospital of the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (cases); resident of Rio de Janeiro for at least 6 months; age 75 or younger; visitors of INCA hospital between 5/95 and 2/96 (controls) Ex: women with a history of breast cancer
Comment about participation selection
Strengths: anthropometric data were measured by trained staff; conducted in-person interviews; analyzed association between breast cancer and anthropometric variables; high overall participation rate; stratified results by menopausal status Limitations: small study with few cases; not a population based study; few premenopausal cases
Exposures investigated
Height, current BMI, BMI at age 18, BMI at age 30, maximum BMI
How exposure was measured
Questionnaire, in person Anthropometric measurement, researcher-administered
Ethnic groups with separate analysis
If this study provided a separate analysis by ethnic or racial group, the groups are listed here.
Brazilian women
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, parity, age at menarche, family history of breast cancer, education
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
Description of major analysis
Effect modifiers: menopausal status
Strength of associations reported
Association between premenopausal breast cancer and height, >160 cm vs. <152, OR=1.54(0.46-5.15) trend p=0.52
Association between premenopausal breast cancer and current BMI, >30.23 vs. <22.79, OR=0.25(0.07-0.93) trend p=0.03
Association between premenopausal breast cancer and height, >157 cm vs. <149, OR=1.29(0.67-2.50) trend p=0.28
Association between premenopausal breast cancer and current BMI, >30.80 vs. <24.55, OR=0.61(0.33-1.14) trend p=0.24
Association between premenopausal breast cancer and maximum BMI, >30.48 vs. <24.27, OR=0.15(0.03-0.60) trend p=0.008