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Family history of breast cancer, age and benign breast disease
Author(s) -
Webb Penelope M.,
Byrne Celia,
Schnitt Stuart J.,
Connolly James L.,
Jacobs Timothy,
Peiro Gloria,
Willett Walter,
Colditz Graham A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.10490
Subject(s) - breast cancer , family history , medicine , breast disease , atypical hyperplasia , atypia , odds ratio , risk factor , breast biopsy , gynecology , confidence interval , obstetrics , cancer , oncology , pathology , mammography
A major risk factor for breast cancer is having a first‐degree family history of the disease. Benign breast disease (BBD), particularly atypical hyperplasia, is also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, the relationship between family history of breast cancer and BBD is unclear. From 1989 through 1997, 80,995 participants in the Nurses' Health Study II were followed; 16,849 reported a first diagnosis of BBD. Pathology slides were reviewed for 1,465 women who reported having a tissue biopsy, and these were classified as nonproliferative BBD, proliferative BBD without atypia or atypical hyperplasia. Women with a family history of breast cancer were more likely to report a physician diagnosis of BBD [rate ratio (RR) = 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29–1.46]. The magnitude of this association declined with age from RR = 1.96 (95% CI 1.55–2.47) at 25–29 years to RR = 1.20 (95% CI 0.95–1.52) at age 45–50 years. Among women with proliferative disease, those with a family history of breast cancer were almost 3 times as likely to have atypia (prevalence odds ratio = 2.72, 95% CI 1.23–5.89) than those with no family history. In conclusion, women with a family history of breast cancer appear to be at increased risk of being diagnosed with BBD, in particular the high‐risk types of BBD associated with a greatly increased risk of breast cancer. This link adds weight to the belief that BBD with atypia is a precursor or marker lesion for breast cancer. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.