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Body size and breast cancer risk: Findings from the european prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC)

Lahmann, PH ; Hoffmann, K ; Allen, N ; Van Gils, CH ; Khaw, KT ; Tehard, B ; Berrino, F ; Tjonneland, A ; Bigaard, J and Olsen, A , et al. (2004) In International Journal of Cancer 111(5). p.762-771
Abstract
The evidence for anthropometric factors influencing breast cancer risk is accumulating, but uncertainties remain concerning the role of fat distribution and potential effect modifiers. We used data from 73,542 premenopausal and 103,344 postmenopausal women from 9 European countries, taking part in the EPIC study. RRs from Cox regression models were calculated, using measured height, weight, BMI and waist and hip circumferences; categorized by cohort wide quintiles; and expressed as continuous variables, adjusted for study center, age and other risk factors. During 4.7 years of follow-up, 1,879 incident invasive breast cancers were identified. In postmenopausal women, current HRT modified the body size-breast cancer association. Among... (More)
The evidence for anthropometric factors influencing breast cancer risk is accumulating, but uncertainties remain concerning the role of fat distribution and potential effect modifiers. We used data from 73,542 premenopausal and 103,344 postmenopausal women from 9 European countries, taking part in the EPIC study. RRs from Cox regression models were calculated, using measured height, weight, BMI and waist and hip circumferences; categorized by cohort wide quintiles; and expressed as continuous variables, adjusted for study center, age and other risk factors. During 4.7 years of follow-up, 1,879 incident invasive breast cancers were identified. In postmenopausal women, current HRT modified the body size-breast cancer association. Among nonusers, weight, BMI and hip circumference were positively associated with breast cancer risk (all P-trend less than or equal to 0.002); obese women (BMI > 30) had a 31% excess risk compared to women with BMI < 25. Among HRT users, body measures were inversely but nonsignificantly associated with breast cancer. Excess breast cancer risk with HRT was particularly evident among lean women. Pooled RRs per height increment of 5 cm were 1.05 (95% CI 1.00-1.16) in premenopausal and 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.16) in postmenopausal women. Among premenopausal women, hip circumference was the only other measure significantly related to breast cancer (P-trend = 0.03), after accounting for BMI. In postmenopausal women not taking exogenous hormones, general obesity is a significant predictor of breast cancer, while abdominal fat assessed as waist-hip ratio or waist circumference was not related to excess risk when adjusted for BMI. Among premenopausal women, weight and BMI showed nonsignificant inverse associations with breast cancer. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
body weight, fat distribution, breast neoplasm, obesity, height, hormone replacement therapy
in
International Journal of Cancer
volume
111
issue
5
pages
762 - 771
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000223263700017
  • pmid:15252848
  • scopus:4043139452
ISSN
0020-7136
DOI
10.1002/ijc.20315
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f0849dbe-1311-4110-b768-05fb658cb265 (old id 270846)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:06:22
date last changed
2022-03-28 20:18:09
@article{f0849dbe-1311-4110-b768-05fb658cb265,
  abstract     = {{The evidence for anthropometric factors influencing breast cancer risk is accumulating, but uncertainties remain concerning the role of fat distribution and potential effect modifiers. We used data from 73,542 premenopausal and 103,344 postmenopausal women from 9 European countries, taking part in the EPIC study. RRs from Cox regression models were calculated, using measured height, weight, BMI and waist and hip circumferences; categorized by cohort wide quintiles; and expressed as continuous variables, adjusted for study center, age and other risk factors. During 4.7 years of follow-up, 1,879 incident invasive breast cancers were identified. In postmenopausal women, current HRT modified the body size-breast cancer association. Among nonusers, weight, BMI and hip circumference were positively associated with breast cancer risk (all P-trend less than or equal to 0.002); obese women (BMI &gt; 30) had a 31% excess risk compared to women with BMI &lt; 25. Among HRT users, body measures were inversely but nonsignificantly associated with breast cancer. Excess breast cancer risk with HRT was particularly evident among lean women. Pooled RRs per height increment of 5 cm were 1.05 (95% CI 1.00-1.16) in premenopausal and 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.16) in postmenopausal women. Among premenopausal women, hip circumference was the only other measure significantly related to breast cancer (P-trend = 0.03), after accounting for BMI. In postmenopausal women not taking exogenous hormones, general obesity is a significant predictor of breast cancer, while abdominal fat assessed as waist-hip ratio or waist circumference was not related to excess risk when adjusted for BMI. Among premenopausal women, weight and BMI showed nonsignificant inverse associations with breast cancer. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.}},
  author       = {{Lahmann, PH and Hoffmann, K and Allen, N and Van Gils, CH and Khaw, KT and Tehard, B and Berrino, F and Tjonneland, A and Bigaard, J and Olsen, A and Overvad, K and Clavel-Chapelon, F and Nagel, G and Boeing, H and Trichopoulos, D and Economou, G and Bellos, G and Palli, D and Tumino, R and Panico, S and Amiano, P and Pera, G and Quiros, JR and Martinez, C and Tormo, MJ and Wirfält, Elisabet and Berglund, Göran and Hallmans, G and Key, TJ and Reeves, G and Bingham, S and Norat, T and Biessy, C and Kaaks, R and Riboli, E}},
  issn         = {{0020-7136}},
  keywords     = {{body weight; fat distribution; breast neoplasm; obesity; height; hormone replacement therapy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{762--771}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Body size and breast cancer risk: Findings from the european prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ijc.20315}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/ijc.20315}},
  volume       = {{111}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}