Association between rice consumption and risk of cancer incidence in the California Teachers Study

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment -     

Interactions of alcohol and postmenopausal hormone use in regards to mammographic breast density

Purpose

We investigated the association of alcohol intake with mammographic breast density in postmenopausal women by their hormone therapy (HT) status.

Methods

This study included 2,100 cancer-free postmenopausal women within the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II cohorts. Percent breast density (PD), absolute dense (DA), and non-dense areas (NDA) were measured from digitized film mammograms using a computer-assisted thresholding technique; all measures were square root transformed. Alcohol consumption was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire (0, <?5, and ≥?5 g/day). Information regarding breast cancer risk factors was obtained from baseline or biennial questionnaires closest to the mammogram date. We used generalized linear regression to examine associations between alcohol and breast density measures in women with no HT history, current, and past HT users.

Results

In multivariable analyses, we found no associations of alcohol consumption with PD (p trend?=?0.32) and DA (p trend?=?0.53) and an inverse association with NDA (β?=???0.41, 95% CI ??0.73, ??0.09 for ≥?5 g/day, p trend?<?0.01). In the stratified analysis by HT status, alcohol was not associated with PD in any of the strata. We found a significant inverse association of alcohol with NDA among past HT users (β?=???0.79, 95% CI ??1.51, ??0.07 for ≥?5 g/day, p trend?=?0.02). There were no significant interactions between alcohol and HT in relation to PD, DA, and NDA (p interaction?=?0.19, 0.42, and 0.43, respectively).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that associations of alcohol with breast density do not vary by HT status.

     

Associations of established breast cancer risk factors with urinary estrogens in postmenopausal women

Cancer Causes & Control - Circulating estrogens are an established risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer (BCa). We describe the distribution of urinary estrogens, their metabolites, and...     

Associations of coffee consumption and caffeine intake with mammographic breast density

Purpose

Previous studies suggest that coffee and caffeine intake may be associated with reduced breast cancer risk. We investigated the association of coffee and caffeine intake with mammographic breast density by woman’s menopausal status and, in postmenopausal women, by hormone therapy (HT).

Methods

This study included 4130 cancer-free women within the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II cohorts. Percent breast density (PD) was measured from digitized film mammograms using a computer-assisted thresholding technique and square root-transformed for the analysis. Average cumulative coffee/caffeine consumption was calculated using data from all food frequency questionnaires preceding the mammogram date. Information regarding breast cancer risk factors was obtained from questionnaires closest to the mammogram date. We used generalized linear regression to quantify associations of regular, decaffeinated, and total coffee, and energy-adjusted caffeine intake with percent density.

Results

In multivariable analyses, decaffeinated coffee was positively associated with PD in premenopausal women (2+ cups/day: β = 0.23, p trend = 0.03). In postmenopausal women, decaffeinated and total coffee were inversely associated with PD (decaffeinated 2+ cups/day: β = ? 0.24, p trend = 0.04; total 4+ cups/day: β = ? 0.16, p trend = 0.02). Interaction of decaffeinated coffee with menopausal status was significant (p-interaction < 0.001). Among current HT users, regular coffee and caffeine were inversely associated with PD (regular coffee 4+ cups/day: β = ? 0.29, p trend = 0.01; caffeine 4th vs. 1st quartile: β = ? 0.32, p trend = 0.01). Among past users, decaffeinated coffee was inversely associated with PD (2+ cups/day β = ? 0.70, p trend = 0.02).

Conclusions

Associations of decaffeinated coffee with percent density differ by woman’s menopausal status. Associations of regular coffee and caffeine with percent density may differ by HT status.

     

Physical activity and mammographic breast density: a systematic review

Studies show a protective relationship between physical activity and breast cancer risk across the life course from menarche to postmenopausal years. Mammographic breast density is a known and strong breast cancer risk factor. Whether the association of physical activity with breast cancer risk is mediated through mammographic breast density is poorly understood. This systematic review summarizes published studies that investigated the association between physical activity and mammographic breast density and discusses the methodological issues that need to be addressed. We included in this review studies that were published before October 31, 2011 that were accessible in full-text format and were published in English. We identified 20 studies through the PubMed Central, BioMed Central, Embase, and Scopus and using the search terms "physical activity and breast density" and "exercise and breast density" as well as through manual searches of the bibliographies of the articles identified in electronic searches. We found no evidence of association between physical activity and breast density across the studies by grouping them first by the timing of physical activity assessment (in adolescence, current/recent, past, and lifetime) and then by women's menopausal status (premenopausal and postmenopausal). Given the strength of the relationship between physical activity and breast cancer and the null findings of this review, it is unlikely that the effect of physical activity is mediated through an effect on breast density.     

Racial disparities in healthy behaviors and cancer screening among breast cancer survivors and women without cancer: National Health Interview Survey 2005

Purpose

We investigated racial disparities in healthy behaviors and cancer screening in a large sample from the US population.

Methods

This analysis used the data from 2005 National Health Interview Survey and included women at age ≥ 40 years who completed the cancer questionnaires (2,427,075 breast cancer survivors and 57,978,043 women without cancer). Self-reported information on cancer history, healthy behaviors (body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption, sunscreen use) was collected. We compared distributions of each factor among Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic women with and without breast cancer history.

Results

Caucasian breast cancer survivors as compared to their cancer-free counterparts were less likely to be current smokers (8.3 vs. 16.9 %, p < 0.001) and to have regular mammograms (51.5 vs. 36.9 %, p < 0.05). Differences in associations between cancer survivors and respondents without cancer among African American and Hispanic women did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

Certain breast cancer survivor groups can benefit from tailored preventive services that would address concerns related to selected healthy behaviors and screening practices. However, most of the differences are suggestive and do not differ by race.