Risk factors for breast cancer: a hospital-based case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
The factors responsible for the genesis of breast cancer remain unclear. A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the possibility of an association between hypothesized risk factors and the development of breast cancer in Serbia.


METHODS
This hospital-based case-control study comprised 120 new breast cancer cases and 120 hospital controls matched with respect to age (+/- 2 years). This study used a targeted and detailed questionnaire to obtain information from respondents. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated from multivariate conditional logistic regression models.


RESULTS
Five independent predictors of breast cancer were: delayed age at first birth (OR=6.1, 95% CI=4.2-12.4), alcohol consumption (OR=4.8, 95% CI=1.9-12.4), family history of breast cancer in 2nd degree relatives (OR=2.5, 95% CI=1.4-4.3), never having breastfed (OR=5.2, 95% CI=1.4-18.5) and maternal death in childhood (OR=3.3, 95% CI=1.2-8.6).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study confirmed that the aetiology of breast cancer in Serbia, as elsewhere, is complex. More research is needed to understand the interactions between factors that could affect vulnerability to breast cancer.
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Epidemiology, University of Nis, Bul.dr Z. Djindjića 50, Nis, Serbia. biljaizzz@yahoo.com
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Kocic
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Petrovic
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Filipovic
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology