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Survival in breast cancer and age at start of oral contraceptive usage

Ranstam, J. ; Olsson, H. LU orcid ; Garne, J. P. ; Aspegren, K. and Janzon, L. (1991) In Anticancer research 11(6). p.2043-2046
Abstract

In general, findings in studies on oral contraceptives (OCs) and breast cancer have not indicated prognosis to be worse among users of OCs. In few studies, however, has age at the start of OC usage been considered as a prognostic factor. In the present study prognosis in breast cancer is compared with OC usage particularly with age at the start of OC usage among 193 consecutive patients at the Department of Oncology University Hospital Lund. An earlier series of 193 breast cancer patients at Malmo General Hospital is included for comparisons. In the Lund series five-year survival was 62% among women who started to use OCs before the age of 20, 78% among those who started to use OCs between the ages of 20 and 25, and 86% among non-users... (More)

In general, findings in studies on oral contraceptives (OCs) and breast cancer have not indicated prognosis to be worse among users of OCs. In few studies, however, has age at the start of OC usage been considered as a prognostic factor. In the present study prognosis in breast cancer is compared with OC usage particularly with age at the start of OC usage among 193 consecutive patients at the Department of Oncology University Hospital Lund. An earlier series of 193 breast cancer patients at Malmo General Hospital is included for comparisons. In the Lund series five-year survival was 62% among women who started to use OCs before the age of 20, 78% among those who started to use OCs between the ages of 20 and 25, and 86% among non-users and those who started to use OCs after the age of 25 (p = 0.009 test for homogeneity). Although age was found to be a prognostic factor in the Lund series (RR = 0.90, p = 0.001) this was not so in the earlier (older) Malmo series. The relationship with age differed significantly between the two series (p = 0.003) suggesting the apparent effect of age at diagnosis to be a cohort effect due to the introduction of OCs during the sixties. The age-specific relationship between survival and OC usage would seem to indicate the presence of a biological mechanism in which OCs may participate during precancerous and early stages of breast cancer.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Breast cancer, Oral contraceptives, Survival
in
Anticancer research
volume
11
issue
6
pages
2043 - 2046
publisher
International Institute of Cancer Research
external identifiers
  • pmid:1776838
  • scopus:0026331153
ISSN
0250-7005
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6f557e84-d39b-4219-ba29-092478fcbe21
date added to LUP
2018-12-19 15:16:04
date last changed
2024-01-15 10:33:16
@article{6f557e84-d39b-4219-ba29-092478fcbe21,
  abstract     = {{<p>In general, findings in studies on oral contraceptives (OCs) and breast cancer have not indicated prognosis to be worse among users of OCs. In few studies, however, has age at the start of OC usage been considered as a prognostic factor. In the present study prognosis in breast cancer is compared with OC usage particularly with age at the start of OC usage among 193 consecutive patients at the Department of Oncology University Hospital Lund. An earlier series of 193 breast cancer patients at Malmo General Hospital is included for comparisons. In the Lund series five-year survival was 62% among women who started to use OCs before the age of 20, 78% among those who started to use OCs between the ages of 20 and 25, and 86% among non-users and those who started to use OCs after the age of 25 (p = 0.009 test for homogeneity). Although age was found to be a prognostic factor in the Lund series (RR = 0.90, p = 0.001) this was not so in the earlier (older) Malmo series. The relationship with age differed significantly between the two series (p = 0.003) suggesting the apparent effect of age at diagnosis to be a cohort effect due to the introduction of OCs during the sixties. The age-specific relationship between survival and OC usage would seem to indicate the presence of a biological mechanism in which OCs may participate during precancerous and early stages of breast cancer.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ranstam, J. and Olsson, H. and Garne, J. P. and Aspegren, K. and Janzon, L.}},
  issn         = {{0250-7005}},
  keywords     = {{Breast cancer; Oral contraceptives; Survival}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{2043--2046}},
  publisher    = {{International Institute of Cancer Research}},
  series       = {{Anticancer research}},
  title        = {{Survival in breast cancer and age at start of oral contraceptive usage}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{1991}},
}