Risk of breast cancer in association with exposure to two different groups of tricyclic antidepressants.
OBJECTIVE
In 2002, we reported an epidemiological study in which we found that some tricyclic antidepressants (identified as genotoxic in Drosophila Melanogaster) were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, when exposure took place 11-15 years before the date of diagnosis. The implications of the results found lead us to carry out a separate case-control study, using the same source population, to validate the conclusions drawn from our previous study.


METHODS
We accrued 7330 breast cancer cases, diagnosed between 1981 and 2000, and 29 320 controls matched on age and time.


RESULTS
The association between exposure to genotoxic TCAs 11-15 years before diagnosis and the risk of breast cancer development was much weaker, as compared to what was reported in our previous study. The relative risk of breast cancer in women exposed to high doses of genotoxic TCAs 11-15 years before diagnosis was 1.17 (95%CI: 0.79-1.74), while in women exposed to high levels of non-genotoxic TCAs during the same period it was 0.95 (95%CI: 0.61-1.48).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, we did not find supporting evidence for an increased risk of breast cancer among women exposed to TCAs up to 20 years in the past.
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. hani_t@hotmail.com
Hani
H
Tamim
Jean-François
JF
Boivin
James
J
Hanley
Maryrose
M
Stang
Jean-Paul
JP
Collet
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic