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UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Bridging the Gap: Transforming Knowledge into Action

July 8-12, 2006, Washington, DC, USA

Sunday, 9 July 2006 - 12:00 PM
9-40

Breast Cancer Risk Factors in Post-Menopausal Women According to Histological Type and Tumor Grade: A study of 55,377 women followed for 25 years

Hala Nsouli, MPH, The George Washington University, 2300 eye street NW, Washington, DC 20037, Catherine Schairer, PhD, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, The National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Boulevard, Besethda, MD, Donald Henson, M.D., George Washington University Cancer Institute, The George Washington University, 2300 eye street NW, Washington, DC 20037, and Kenneth Chu, PhD, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, The National Cancer Institute, 6110 Executive Boulevard, Besethda, MD.

Objective: We examined risk factors for histologic subtypes of breast cancer (infiltrating ductal (IDC) or lobular (ILC) carcinomas), and for tumor grades (I, II, or III) in post-menopausal women.

Methods: Using data from 55,377 subjects in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study (1979-1998), we calculated rate ratios by poisson regression.

Results: A total of 3,137 cases of breast cancer were identified, with histopathologic classification of 2,270: IDC 54.8%, ILC 9.0%. For IDC, statistically significant associations (p<.05) occurred with body mass index (BMI), family history of breast cancer, benign breast disease, high educational level, high income level, and alcohol consumption. Identical factors were implicated in ILC, but statistical significance was limited. African-American origin was associated with a relatively decreased risk of IDC. Age at menarche was not associated with either IDC or ILC. Family history and history of benign breast disease were associated with increased risk of all grades. Nulliparity, a later age at first live birth, and high income level were associated with Grade I. Alcohol consumption was significantly associated with Grades II and III, while the highest BMI quartile was associated with Grade III. African-American patients showed a decreased risk of Grade II cancer.

Conclusions: The overall pattern of risk correlations for IDC and ILC were similar. Grade differences were related to alcohol consumption, BMI, affluence and ethnic background.


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