The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 2300 Eye Street, N.W., Ross Hall 118, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Many studies have investigated risk factors for developing breast cancer, but few have explored whether these risk factors are associated with the aggressiveness of the tumor. This case-case study examined the relationship between risk factors for breast cancer and the histological grade of the tumor at diagnosis, an important indicator of breast cancer aggressiveness.
Methods
We interviewed 215 breast cancer patients and obtained information on their demographics, reproductive history and hormone use. Grade of tumor was obtained from a review of the patients' pathological reports. The relationships between tumor aggressiveness (classified by tumor grade) and risk factors of interest were analyzed using multi-variable logistic regression. Maximum likelihood estimates of the odds ratio were obtained and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.
Results
In multivariable analyses we found that when comparing women who had their first child before age 20 with those who had their first child age 20 and older, women who had their first child before age 20 had approximately a 3.2 increased odds of having a higher-grade tumor (OR=3.20; 95% CI=1.20, 8.49). Long-term use of oral contraceptives, measured in years of oral contraceptive use, was also positively associated with a higher-grade tumor (OR=1.12; 95% CI=1.03-1.23). In addition we found that younger age at diagnosis was a strong predictor of a higher-grade tumor, with a 4% increased odds of having a higher-grade tumor for each year younger (OR=0.96; 95% CI=0.93-0.995).
Conclusions
Early age at first birth, long-term use of oral contraceptives, and younger age at diagnosis were associated with advanced tumor grade.
early age first childbirth breast cancer tumor grade, oral contraceptive long-term use breast cancer aggressiveness, reproductive risk factors breast cancer histological grade, young age first birth higher grade breast tumor, oral contraceptive years use tumor grade association, case-case study breast cancer aggressiveness risk factors, young age at diagnosis breast cancer tumor aggressiveness, age first pregnancy breast cancer grade logistic regression, parity timing oral contraceptive breast cancer prognosis, reproductive history breast cancer tumor characteristics
PMID 18789610 18789610 DOI 10.1016/j.cdp.2008.04.001 10.1016/j.cdp.2008.04.001
Cite this article
Veneroso, C. C., Siegel, R., & Levine, P. H. (2008). Early age at first childbirth associated with advanced tumor grade in breast cancer. Cancer detection and prevention, 32(3), 215-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdp.2008.04.001
Veneroso CC, Siegel R, Levine PH. Early age at first childbirth associated with advanced tumor grade in breast cancer. Cancer Detect Prev. 2008;32(3):215-223. doi:10.1016/j.cdp.2008.04.001
Veneroso, Carmela C., et al. "Early age at first childbirth associated with advanced tumor grade in breast cancer." Cancer detection and prevention, vol. 32, no. 3, 2008, pp. 215-223.
Keywords
Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal
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