Multiple births and risk of breast cancer

Data from a large, multicenter, population-based case-control study were analyzed to investigate the relation between multiple birth pregnancies and subsequent breast-cancer risk in the gravidas. Women less than 75 years old who had breast cancer were identified from statewide tumor registries in Wi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of cancer Vol. 62; no. 2; p. 162
Main Authors Dietz, A T, Newcomb, P A, Storer, B E, Longnecker, M P, Mittendorf, R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 17.07.1995
Subjects
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology
Case-Control Studies
Female
Humans
Maine
Massachusetts
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
New Hampshire
Odds Ratio
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Multiple
Time Factors
Wisconsin
Maine
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
New Hampshire
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Data from a large, multicenter, population-based case-control study were analyzed to investigate the relation between multiple birth pregnancies and subsequent breast-cancer risk in the gravidas. Women less than 75 years old who had breast cancer were identified from statewide tumor registries in Wisconsin, western Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. Controls aged less than 65 years were selected randomly from lists of licensed drivers, and controls aged between 65 and 74 were selected randomly from lists of Medicare beneficiaries. Information on reproductive history and other factors was obtained by means of telephone interviews. After excluding nulliparous women, 5,880 case subjects and 8,217 controls remained for analysis. Multiple birth pregnancies occurred in 146 cases and 218 controls. Adjusted for the number of full-term pregnancies and other confounders, the odds ratio (OR) for any multiple birth pregnancy was 0.94 (95% confidence interval, 0.75 to 1.17). The null association between multiple birth pregnancies and breast cancer remained if the mother's first pregnancy or last pregnancy resulted in a multiple birth. In addition, no trend in risk emerged for age at first multiple birth or time since last multiple birth. While other investigators have suggested biological mechanisms to explain both protective and detrimental effects of multiple births and subsequent development of breast cancer, this study does not support either assertion.
ISSN:0020-7136
DOI:10.1002/ijc.2910620209