Birth size is a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer later in lifeSeptember 30, 2008Birth size, and in particular birth length, correlates with subsequent risk of breast cancer in adulthood, according to a new study published in PLoS Medicine by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Associations between birth size, perhaps as a marker of the pre-natal environment, and subsequent breast cancer risk have been identified before, but the findings from epidemiological studies have been inconsistent. In the new study, led by Isabel dos Santos Silva (Professor of Epidemiology), the researchers re-analysed data from published and unpublished studies to obtain more precise estimates of the extent to which birth size affects the risk of breast cancer later in life and to investigate whether they could be explained by associations with other risk factors. They examined 32 studies, comprising 22,058 cases of breast cancer among a total of more than 600,000 women, most of whom lived in developed countries. They found that birth weight was positively associated with breast cancer risk in studies where information on birth size was based on birth records (although not in those based on adult self-reports, which tend to be less accurate). Analyses of women with data from birth records showed that a 0.5 kg increment in birth weight was associated with an estimated 7% increase in the risk of breast cancer. Birth length and head circumference were also positively associated with breast cancer risk when studies with data from birth records were analyzed. Of the three birth size measures examined, birth length appeared to be the strongest independent predictor of risk. The estimated magnitude of the birth size association with breast cancer risk was not affected when the effects of established breast cancer risk factors were accounted for. Isabel dos Santos Silva commented: 'Our study indicates that birth size is a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer in adulthood, at least in developed countries. The birth size - breast cancer association appeared to be largely independent of known risk factors. Little is known on how the pre-natal environment may affect breast cancer risk later in life. Further research is needed to unravel the biological mechanisms underlying the birth size - breast cancer association'. In an expert commentary, Pagona Lagiou and Dimitrios Trichopoulos of Harvard University School of Public Health, who were not involved in the study, say that the new study provides "the strongest evidence yet that birth size is a critical determinant of breast cancer risk in adult life." Citation: dos Santos Silva I, De Stavola B, McCormack V, Collaborative Group on Pre-Natal Risk Factors and Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer (2008) Birth size and breast cancer risk: Re-analysis of individual participant data from 32 studies. PLoS Med 5(9): e193. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050193 http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050193 Public Library of Science |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles Researcher: 'Optical biopsy' for breast cancer increasingly accurate But women may not have to endure the medical costs, stress and potential complications that accompany such invasive biopsies forever. A University of Florida biomedical engineering researcher is making progress on an "optical biopsy" that has the potential to determine whether growths are cancerous without ever puncturing the skin. Plastic surgeons offer microsurgery technique for breast reconstruction, tummy tuck after mastectomy Since her teens, Jennifer Jablon had watched family members deal with breast cancer during their 40s, 50s, and 60s. She wondered whether it would be her fate too. Experimental agent reduces breast cancer metastasis to bone Researchers have reduced breast cancer metastasis to bone using an experimental agent to inhibit ROCK, a protein that was found to be over-expressed in metastatic breast cancer. American Dietetic Association Releases Updated Position Paper Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on breastfeeding that details health benefits for both infants and mothers and encourages promotion of breastfeeding whenever possible. Weight Training Boosts Breast Cancer Survivors' Body Image and Satisfaction with Intimate Relationships, Penn Study Shows In addition to building muscle, weightlifting is also a prescription for self-esteem among breast cancer survivors, according to new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine research. Early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer patients at increased risk of recurrence Early-stage breast cancer patients with HER2 positive tumors one centimeter or smaller are at significant risk of recurrence of their disease, compared to those with early-stage disease who do not express the aggressive protein, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Adapting Space-Industry Technology to Treat Breast Cancer Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. An exquisite container In campy old movies, Lucretia Borgia swans around emptying powder from her ring into wine glasses carelessly left unattended. The poison ring is usually a confection of gold filigree holding a cabochon or faceted gemstone that can be broken to empty the ring's contents. It is invariably enormous - so large it is rather odd nobody seems to notice it. MicroRNA-mediated metastasis suppression Metastases are responsible for over 90% of cancer deaths. In the upcoming issue of G&D, Dr. Robert Weinberg (MIT) and colleagues lend molecular insight into how microRNAs suppress tumor metastasis. Study shows hormone replacement therapy decreases mortality in younger postmenopausal woman Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopausal estrogen deficiency has been in widespread use for over 60 years. Several observational studies over the years showed that HRT use by younger postmenopausal women was associated with a significant reduction in total mortality; available evidence supported the routine use of HRT to increase longevity in postmenopausal women. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||