Body Fatness and Breast Cancer Risk in Young Women
Author Information
Author(s): Magnusson C M K, Roddam A W, Pike M C, Chilvers C, Crossley B, Hermon C, McPherson K, Peto J, Vessey M, Beral V
Primary Institution: Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford
Hypothesis
Is there a relationship between body fatness and sports participation at young ages and the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women?
Conclusion
The study found that obesity in premenopausal women is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, while sports participation did not show a significant relationship.
Supporting Evidence
- Women who perceived themselves as plump at age 10 years had a relative risk of 0.83 compared to those who perceived themselves as thin.
- Self-reported obesity at diagnosis was associated with a relative risk of 0.78.
- Women who reported being plump at age 10 and overweight at diagnosis had a relative risk of 0.75.
Takeaway
This study looked at how being overweight or active when young affects the chances of getting breast cancer later. It found that being heavier might actually lower the risk of breast cancer for young women.
Methodology
The study used data from three UK population-based case-control studies, comparing 1560 premenopausal breast cancer cases with 1548 controls.
Potential Biases
Potential for misclassification of body fatness and sports participation due to reliance on retrospective self-reports.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data for body fatness and sports participation, which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Participants were predominantly white women with no previous malignancy, aged under 55 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Confidence Interval
0.69–0.99
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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