Body size and breast cancer in a black population--The Barbados National Cancer Study

• Published in: Cancer causes & control 2009-04, Vol.20 (3), p.387-394
• Main Authors: Nemesure, Barbara, Wu, Suh-Yuh, Hennis, Anselm, Leske, M. Cristina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African Americans; Age; Barbados - epidemiology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Black People; Body Mass Index; Body Size; Body Weight; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - ethnology; Breast Neoplasms - etiology; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cancer Research; Case-Control Studies; Circumferences; Diet Surveys; Epidemiology; Female; Genealogy; Genomes; Genomics; Hematology; Humans; Incidence; Life Style; Mammography; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Oncology; Original Paper; Population; Postmenopause; Predisposing factors; Public Health; Questionnaires; Research centers; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Waist-Hip Ratio - standards; Womens health
• ISSN: 0957-5243; 1573-7225; 1573-7225
• DOI: 10.1007/s10552-008-9253-3

Objective To evaluate the relationship between body size and incident breast cancer in an African-origin Caribbean population. Methods This investigation is based on 222 incident breast cancer cases and 454 controls from the Barbados National Cancer Study (BNCS) in whom body size variables that included height, weight, body-mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences (WC, HC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were compared. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed and the findings are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Although 33% of cases and 39% of controls were obese (BMI >= 30 kg/m²), BMI was not found to be a significant predictor of breast cancer in the multivariate analyses. Tall stature increased risk among women >=50 years (OR = 2.16, 95% CI (1.02, 4.58)), and a dual effect with age was suggested for both WC and WHR (decreased risk for those aged =50 years). Conclusions Body size appears to influence the risk of breast cancer in this population of African origin. The BNCS data suggest that a few, but not all body size factors play a role in breast cancer risk, and that age may affect these relationships.