title: Does dietary folate intake modify effect of alcohol consumption on breast cancer risk? Prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of dietary folate intake on the relation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Melbourne, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  17,447 Anglo-Australian women resident in Melbourne, aged 40-69 years at recruitment in 1990-4, and followed up until 31 December 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Invasive breast cancers diagnosed during follow-up and ascertained through the Victorian cancer registry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  537 invasive breast cancers were diagnosed. Compared with lifetime abstainers, the hazard ratio for breast cancer in women who consumed an average of 40 g or more of alcohol daily at baseline was 1.41 (95% confidence interval 0.90 to 2.23). No direct association was found between dietary folate intake and risk of breast cancer, but a high folate intake mitigated the excess risk associated with alcohol. The estimated hazard ratio of an alcohol consumption of 40 g/day or more was 2.00 (1.14 to 3.49) for women with intakes of 200 mug/day of folate and 0.77 (0.33 to 1.80) for 400 mug/day of folate (P = 0.04 for interaction between alcohol and folate).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An adequate dietary intake of folate might protect against the increased risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, 100 Drummond Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia. laura.baglietto@cancervic.org.au
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baglietto
authors.forename: Dallas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: Dorota M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gertig
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: Graham G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Giles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid