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Plasma prolactin levels and breast cancer: Relation to parity, weight and height, and age at first birth
Author(s) -
Kwa H. G.,
Cleton F.,
Bulbrook R. D.,
Wang D. Y.,
Hayward J. L.
Publication year - 1981
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.2910280106
Subject(s) - prolactin , underweight , parity (physics) , breast cancer , medicine , endocrinology , overweight , population , birth weight , risk factors for breast cancer , physiology , cancer , pregnancy , obstetrics , hormone , obesity , biology , environmental health , physics , particle physics , genetics
Plasma prolactin has been measured in over 3,500 women volunteers from a normal population. In premenopausal women there was a significant decrease in prolactin levels with increasing parity. However, this effect was transitory since plasma prolactin concentration rose with increasing time after the birth of the last child. There were no significant differences in prolactin levels with respect to height and weight, although overweight compared to underweight women had approximately 15% more plasma prolactin. If prolactin is a carcinogen, then these results are in keeping with the epidemiological findings that multiparity affords protection and that age at last delivery is a risk factor in the development of breast cancer.