Volume 119, Issue 12 pp. 2931-2937
Epidemiology

Lifetime adult weight gain, central adiposity, and the risk of pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer in the Western New York exposures and breast cancer study

Daikwon Han

Corresponding Author

Daikwon Han

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo-State, University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

Fax: +606-783-5092

Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY, USASearch for more papers by this author
Jing Nie

Jing Nie

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo-State, University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

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Matthew R. Bonner

Matthew R. Bonner

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo-State, University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

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Susan E. McCann

Susan E. McCann

Department of Epidemiology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

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Paola Muti

Paola Muti

Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Italian National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Rome, Italy

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Maurizio Trevisan

Maurizio Trevisan

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo-State, University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

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Farah A. Ramirez-Marrero

Farah A. Ramirez-Marrero

Department of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR

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Dominica Vito

Dominica Vito

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo-State, University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

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Jo L. Freudenheim

Jo L. Freudenheim

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo-State, University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

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First published: 26 October 2006
Citations: 52

Abstract

While there are quite consistent data regarding associations of body weight and postmenopausal breast cancer, there are now accumulating data that would indicate that weight gain in adult life is more predictive of risk than absolute body weight. There is, however, little known about the relative impact of timing of weight gain in adult life as well as other characteristics of the weight and breast cancer association that might provide insight into the mechanism of the observation. We conducted a population-based case control study of breast cancer (1996–2001), the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer Study. Included were 1,166 women with primary, histologically confirmed, incident breast cancer and 2,105 controls frequency-matched on age, race and county of residence. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. We found increased risk of breast cancer associated with lifetime adult weight gain among post- but not premenopausal women, and there was a 4% increase in risk for each 5 kg increase in adult weight. Further there was a tendency toward a stronger association for those with higher waist circumference and those with positive estrogen or progesterone status, and who had never used HRT. We also found an association with risk for weight gain since first pregnancy and for weight gain between the time of the first pregnancy and menopause, independent of body mass index and lifetime adult weight gain. Our results suggest that there are time periods of weight gain that have greater impact on risk, and that central body fat, receptor status and hormone replacement therapy may all affect the observed association. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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