Lifetime menstrual activity--indicator of breast cancer risk.
A case-control study of 67 cases of breast cancer and 157 controls was conducted to investigate the role of different behavioral, reproductive, and hormonal factors and to develop a unifying indicator of breast cancer risk. The results confirm previous reports of the influence of smoking on the risk of breast cancer. Age at menarche was found to be a risk factor among the premenopausal women. Late age at menopause was suggestive of an increase in risk. Long use of oral contraceptive or estrogen supplementation were risk-enhancing both pre- and postmenopausally. Lifetime duration of menstrual activity (LMA) combines age at menarche and menopause, parity, and lactation into a biologically plausible model. Our findings concerning LMA support its role as a determinant of breast cancer.
Rautalahti
M
M
National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Albanes
D
D
Virtamo
J
J
Palmgren
J
J
Haukka
J
J
Heinonen
O P
OP
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause; D008598:Menstruation; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral