Association of paternal age at birth and the risk of breast cancer in offspring: a case control study.
BACKGROUND
Older paternal age may increase the germ cell mutation rate in the offspring. Maternal age may also mediate in utero exposure to pregnancy hormones in the offspring. To evaluate the association between paternal and maternal age at birth with the risk of breast cancer in female offspring, a case-control study was conducted in Korea.


METHODS
Histologically confirmed breast cancer cases (n = 1,011) and controls (n = 1,011) with no present or previous history of cancer, matched on year of birth and menopausal status, were selected from several teaching hospitals and community in Seoul during 1995-2003. Information on paternal and maternal ages and other factors was collected by interviewed questionnaire. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression model adjusting for family history of breast cancer in 1st or 2nd degree relatives, and lifetime estrogen exposure duration.


RESULTS
The risk of breast cancer significantly increased as the paternal age increased (p for trend = 0.025). The association was stronger after controlling for maternal age; women whose fathers were aged >or=40 years at their birth had 1.6-fold increased risk of breast cancer compared with fathers aged <30 years. This association was profound in breast cancer cases in premenopausal women (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.12-3.26, for paternal aged >or=40 vs. <30) (p for trend = 0.031). Although the risk of breast cancer increased as maternal age increased up to the intermediate, and then reduced; the risks in women whose mother were aged 25-29, 30-34, and >or=35 yrs at birth compared to women whose mothers were aged <25 years, were 1.2, 1.4, and 0.8, respectively, the trend was not significant (p for trend = 0.998).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that older paternal age increases the risk of breast cancer in their female offspring.
Choi
Ji-Yeob
JY
Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-Dong Chongno-Gu, Seoul 110-799 Korea. miso77@snu.ac.kr
Lee
Kyoung-Mu
KM
Park
Sue Kyung
SK
Noh
Dong-Young
DY
Ahn
Sei-Hyun
SH
Yoo
Keun-Young
KY
Kang
Daehee
D
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010331:Paternal Age; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors