title: Breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk: a case-control study  in Tunisia.
abstract: In this report, we examined the relationship between mother's breastfeeding history and her risk of breast cancer, in a case-control study in Tunisia between 2006 and 2009. About 400 breast cancer cases and 400 controls were included. Cases and controls were interviewed using a standardized structured questionnaire to obtain information on breastfeeding and other risk factors. Mean duration of breastfeeding per child was significantly associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer for women who breastfed for > 24 months per child. The OR was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.28-0.76) when compared those who breastfed for < 6 months. The test for trend was significant (p = 0.01). A significantly reduced risk of breast cancer was found for those whose lifetime duration of breastfeeding was 73-108 months (OR = 0.65, 95% CI, 0.36- 1.18) and for those who breastfed for > or = 109 months (OR = 0.42, 95% CI, 0.20-0.84). Stratification by menopausal status showed a reduced risk of breast cancer associated with a longer duration of breastfeeding for both pre- and postmenopausal women. The risk reduction was more consistent for lifetime duration of breastfeeding, the test for trend being significant for both pre- (p = 0.03) and postmenopausal (p = 0.01) women. These results support an inverse association between breastfeeding and breast cancer risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, CHU Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia. awatefmsolly@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Msolly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Awatef
authors.forename: Gharbi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Olfa
authors.forename: Harrabi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imed
authors.forename: Mahmoudi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kacem
authors.forename: Chabchoub
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Imen
authors.forename: Chafai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rim
authors.forename: Bibi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Ben Ahmed
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Slim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017698:Postmenopause; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health