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A population-based study of the effectiveness of breast conservation for newly diagnosed breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of breast conservation for newly diagnosed breast cancer. Effectiveness was operationalized as two outcomes within 5 years of the diagnosis of breast cancer: the probability of mastectomy-free survival (either death or mastectomy count as event, whichever comes first), and the probability of mastectomy conditional on survival (mastectomy counts as event, observations censored at death). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We linked records of 46,687 new cases of breast cancer from 1982 to 1991 in the Ontario Cancer Registry to records of surgery from 1982 to 1995, radiotherapy (RT) from 1982 to 1992, and median household income from the 1986 census. We labeled breast surgery within 4 months and postoperative RT within 12 months of diagnosis as treatment for newly diagnosed breast cancer. Surgery was categorized as mastectomy, lumpectomy plus RT, lumpectomy alone, or no surgical procedure. Among cases that did not undergo mastectomy within 4 months of diagnosis, we labeled mastectomy subsequent to 4 months after diagnosis as treatment failure. We performed life-table analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression, to describe the probability of mastectomy conditional on survival and the probability of mastectomy-free survival. RESULTS: A total of 16,279 cases underwent lumpectomy as the maximum procedure on the breast within 4 months of diagnosis, and 49.7% of these received postoperative RT. Compared to the provincial mean, regions with higher rates of lumpectomy plus RT have higher probability of mastectomy-free survival and lower probability of mastectomy conditional upon survival 5 years after diagnosis of breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with a hypothesis that breast conservation is effective in the overall breast cancer population of Ontario within the first 5 years after diagnosis.

Adult↗

Breast-feeding problems after epidural analgesia for labour: a retrospective cohort study of pain, obstetrical procedures and breast-feeding practices.

Various clinical practices have been found to be associated with breast-feeding problems. However, little is known about the effect of pain, obstetrical procedures and analgesia on breast-feeding behaviour. We designed a retrospective study with a questionnaire concerning pain, obstetrical procedures and breast-feeding practices mailed to 164 primiparae in Lapland. Altogether 99 mothers (60%) returned completed questionnaires that could be included in the analysis, which was carried out in two steps. Firstly, all accepted questionnaires were grouped according to the success or failure to breast-feed fully during the first 12 weeks of life. Secondly, an ad hoc cohort study was performed on the sub-sample of 64 mothers delivered vaginally. As many as 44% of the 99 mothers reported partial breast feeding or formula feeding during the first 12 weeks. Older age of the mother, use of epidural analgesia and the problem of "not having enough milk" were associated with the failure to breast-feed fully. Caesarean section, other methods of labour analgesia and other breast-feeding problems were not associated with partial breast feeding or formula feeding. In the sub-sample, 67% of the mothers who had laboured with epidural analgesia and 29% of the mothers who laboured without epidural analgesia reported partial breast feeding or formula feeding (P = 0.003). The problem of "not having enough milk" was more often reported by those who had had epidural analgesia. Further studies conducted prospectively are needed to establish whether a causal relationship exists between epidural analgesia and breast-feeding problems.

Adult↗

Current policies for surveillance and management in women at risk of breast and ovarian cancer: a survey among 16 European family cancer clinics. European Familial Breast Cancer Collaborative Group.

The recent isolation of breast cancer predisposing genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) allows the identification of carriers within affected families. These carriers have a 50-85% risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer and need careful follow-up. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the management and screening protocols implemented in high risk families at various family cancer clinics in Europe. A questionnaire was mailed to the members of the European Familial Breast Cancer Collaborative Group (n = 30) requesting information on the following issues: indication for surveillance of breasts and ovaries, the recommended protocol, coordination of the screening examination, prophylactic surgery, the specific management of breast cancer in a mutation carrier and the use of oestrogen. 16 centres from nine countries responded. Most centres recommend surveillance of the breasts if the lifetime risk exceeds 15-20%. The surveillance protocol that is generally advised comprises monthly self breast examination, examination by a specialist every 6 months and annual mammography, all starting from an age between 25 and 35 years. Surveillance of the ovaries is recommended in BRCA1 and BRCA2-mutation carriers, in members from breast/ovarian cancer families and in some centres in 'breast cancer only' families with an early onset of breast cancer. The recommended protocol includes gynaecological examination, sonography and estimation of CA-125 at yearly intervals starting from the age 30-35 years. Prophylactic mastectomy is considered for proven mutation carriers in some centres. Most centres consider prophylactic oophorectomy in mutation carriers and some centres also consider it for members of breast/ovarian cancer families. This survey provides insight into the guidelines for surveillance and management of familial breast cancer used at various family cancer clinics in Europe; this insight may contribute to the appropriate management of these high risk women. It should be emphasised that most recommendations are based on experts' opinion rather than on any specific studies.

Adult↗

Risk factors for breast cancer: a case-control study of screen-detected breast cancer in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

We examined the associations between reproductive factors and the risk of breast cancer on the basis of information from a total of 201,363 breast cancer screening program participants in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, during 1987-1991. A case-control study method was applied on analysis. Data on 204 breast cancer cases identified and 810 screening year-, age- and screening area-matched normal controls were extracted. After adjustment for potential confounders, a trend of decreasing risk of breast cancer with increasing number of parity was observed (p for trend = 0.03). Among parous women, lactation for the last child decreased the risk of breast cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.39-0.94). These findings were consistent with those in clinical breast cancer reported previously. When cases were divided into two age groups, younger (< or = 49 y.o.) and older (50 y.o. < or =), family history of breast cancer among mother and sisters (OR = 3.51, 95% CI 1.05-11.80), and lactation for the last child (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.25-0.84) were associated with younger age breast cancer, whereas number of parity was associated with older age breast cancer (p for trend = 0.03). The results by age group suggest that different mechanisms may exist in breast cancer developing at early and late onsets.

Adult↗

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-system mRNA quantities in normal and tumor breast tissue of women with sporadic and familial breast cancer risk.

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-system plays a role in breast cancer susceptibility as well as in growth and progression of breast carcinomas. So far, findings have been based on serum IGF-I levels and semi-quantitative assessment of IGF-system expression levels in model systems and human tissue. Quantitative data on mRNA expression in different types of human breast tissue are lacking. Breast tissue samples ( n = 83) were available from 72 women. Messenger RNA expression of IGF-I, IGF-II, and their receptors (IGF-1R and IGF-2R) was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. We found a large variation in mRNA levels. Expression of each gene was significantly higher in normal tissue than in tumor tissue (median for normal and tumor tissue, respectively (arbitrary units); IGF-I: 25.2 and 1.4; IGF-II: 5.9 and 0.6; IGF-1R: 0.18 and 0.07; IGF-2R: 1.8 and 0.9; p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test). Interestingly, in tumor tissue from patients with a strong family history of breast cancer, expression of both receptors was higher than in sporadic patients (IGF-1R: 0.13 and 0.05, p = 0.04; IGF-2R: 1.1 and 0.8, p = 0.04). For cancer-free controls, expression of IGF-II and IGF-2R in normal breast tissue was also higher in women with a family history of breast cancer than in women without such a family history (IGF-II: 7.2 and 1.5, p = 0.02; IGF-2R: 2.6 and 1.5, p = 0.09). Our study quantitatively shows that mRNA expression levels of IGF-system components in the breast are generally higher in normal tissue compared with tumor tissue, and higher in tissue from women with a family history of breast cancer. A basis has therefore been created for studies aimed at understanding IGF as a breast cancer risk factor, the relationship between IGF-systems in serum and tissues, and effects of lifestyle factors on the IGF-system.

Adult↗

Production of immunoreactive polymorphonuclear leucocyte elastase in human breast cancer cells: possible role of polymorphonuclear leucocyte elastase in the progression of human breast cancer.

Breast cancer cells are known to express various proteolytic enzymes, which make them invasive and favour their dissemination to distant sites. However, it is unclear whether breast cancer cells have the ability to produce polymorphonuclear leucocyte elastase (PMN-E). We measured immunoreactive (ir) PMN-E content in the conditioned medium of two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and ZR-75-1, and two normal breast epithelial cell lines, HBL-100 and Hs 578Bst, using a highly specific and sensitive enzyme immunoassay. Furthermore, ir-PMN-E content was determined in tissue extracts from 62 human breast cancers. ir-PMN-E content in the culture medium of MCF-7 cells and ZR-75-1 cells increased as a function of time, regardless of the presence or absence of oestradiol. On the other hand, no detectable ir-PMN-E was secreted into the culture medium of HBL-100 and Hs 578Bst cells. ir-PMN-E was detectable in 59 of 62 tissue extracts prepared from human breast cancers, the concentration ranging from 0.12 to 19.17 micrograms per 100 mg of protein. When 62 breast cancer specimens were categorised into four groups in terms of clinical stage, ir-PMN-E content in breast cancer tissue was significantly higher in stage III (8.90 +/- 5.13 micrograms 100 mg-1 protein) and stage IV (12.19 +/- 5.44 micrograms 100 mg-1 protein) patients than in stage I (1.64 +/- 1.54 micrograms 100 mg-1 protein) and stage II (4.23 +/- 3.74 micrograms 100 mg-1 protein) patients. Breast cancer patients with high levels of ir-PMN-E showed significantly shorter disease-free survival and overall survival than those with low levels of ir-PMN-E at the cut-off point of 8.99 micrograms 100 mg-1 protein. In the multivariate analysis, ir-PMN-E content was found to be a significant prognostic factor for disease recurrence and death in human breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Mammography screening in the Netherlands: delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer after breast cancer screening.

In a prospective study we determined the frequency and causes of delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer after suspicious screening mammography. We included all women aged 50-75 years who underwent biennial screening mammography in the southern breast cancer screening region of the Netherlands between 1 January 1996 and 1 January 2002. Clinical data, breast imaging reports, biopsy results and breast surgery reports were collected of all women with a positive screening result with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. Of 153 969 mammographic screening examinations, 1615 (1.05%) were positive screens. Breast cancer was diagnosed in 770 (47.9%) of 1607 women for whom follow-up information was available, yielding a cancer detection rate of 5.0 per 1000 women screened. Breast cancer was diagnosed within 3 months following a positive screen in 722 cases (93.8%). The diagnostic delay was 4-6, 7-12 and 13-24 months, respectively, in 11 (1.4%), 24 (3.1%) and nine (1.2%) patients. In four other patients (0.5%), breast cancer was diagnosed after a repeat positive screen, resulting in a diagnostic delay of 25-27 months. Reasons for a diagnostic delay >3 months were erroneous mammographic interpretation of suspicious lesions as benign or probably benign lesions (33 cases), benign biopsies from a malignant lesion (10), and omission to biopsy or remove a lesion that was suspicious at breast imaging (4) or core biopsy (1). We conclude that there is room for improvement in the workup of patients with a positive screening mammography, as seen from data in this screening region. To improve the workup, we suggest that other breast cancer screening programmes also identify delay in breast cancer diagnosis after a positive screen.

Aged↗

Attitudes and treatment outcome of breast conservation therapy for stage I & II breast cancer using peroperative iridium-192 implant boost to the tumour bed.

Breast conservation therapy for early breast cancer is an established but grossly under-utilized treatment option in India for various reasons. Breast conservation therapy was offered to 200 suitable breast cancer patients between June 1993 and June 1998. Fifty-one patients (25%) opted for breast conservation and the remaining preferred mastectomy. In patients agreeing to conservation therapy, surgery was performed first along with peroperative implantation of iridium-192 to deliver a boost. Whole breast irradiation of 45 Gy was delivered 3-4 weeks after the boost. Cosmesis was assessed at the end of 6 months from completion of therapy. The main reason for refusal of breast conservation therapy was fear of recurrence in the remaining breast (60%). There were no locoregional failures in our study at a median follow up of 42 months; one patient experienced a systemic relapse. Cosmesis was good to excellent in 80% of patients. Breast conservation therapy using peroperative iridium-192 implant provides excellent locoregional disease control and cosmesis. The results of our study indicate that patient preference for mastectomy is an important reason for the under-utilization of breast conservation therapy in India.

Adult↗

Occult contralateral breast carcinoma incidentally detected by breast magnetic resonance imaging.

The incidence of synchronous bilateral breast cancers has been reported to be between 3.4% and 7.4%, as detected on mammography, physical examination, or both. We undertook a study to determine how often magnetic resonance (MR) imaging detects a contralateral abnormality in patients with known breast carcinoma. As part of an institutional review board (IRB) -approved research protocol, 17 patients with pathologically proven invasive carcinoma underwent preoperative MR imaging of both breasts using a T1-weighted, high-resolution gradient echo sequence (precontrast and postcontrast), an echo-planar sequence during administration of gadolinium, and a T2-weighted, fast-spin echo sequence. The morphology and dynamic enhancement of lesions in both breasts were assessed. Biopsy was recommended for any lesion meeting set criteria. MR imaging identified all 17 known invasive cancers in the breast of concern on mammography or physical examination. Five of 17 patients (29%) had 10 contralateral lesions identified on MR, for which biopsy was recommended. One of these lesions proved to represent a fibroadenoma. The other 9 lesions proved to represent a malignancy (6 invasive lobular, 2 infiltrating ductal, and 1 tubular). Four of the 17 patients (24%) with invasive cancer had contralateral synchronous cancers occult to physical examination, mammography, and ultrasonography. In this series, breast MR imaging of the breasts was more sensitive than mammography or physical examination in the detection of early breast cancer. Breast MR imaging of the contralateral breast may be of value as a routine screen in those patients with a known or suspected malignancy.

Adult↗

[Epicutaneous breast prosthesis after breast ablation].

INTRODUCTION: Restoration of body symmetry is a very important aspect after mastectomy to help patients coping with daily life. There are basically two possibilities for patients who do not wish breast reconstruction: either using breast forms that are suspended in a brassière or a new system in which the breast form is attached on an adhesive strip to the thorax wall. With burr crushers the breast form is attached to the strip. Brassières are not necessarily needed. The influence of improved prosthetics on the patients' self-concept and well-being was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 67 patients in postoperative care at the Universitätsfrauenklinik Giessen were randomized in control group using customary breast forms and the study group changing to self adhesive breast forms. Using the "Frankfurter Selbstkonzeptionsskalen" (Frankfurt Self-Concept Scales), plus additional questions concerning problems after mastectomy, self-concept was assessed before study and after 3 months. RESULTS: Significant differences with regard to the scale "Social Contact and Relations" (FSKU) were seen. Most patients were better satisfied with epicutaneous self-adhesive breast forms. Weight and movement behaviour of the self-adhesive breast form was considered natural and almost like a part of the body by 92%. 80% considered adhesive strips to be well tolerable. Thoughts about operative breast reconstruction became less important for 62%. 78% were happy to be able to wear more fashionable clothing. CONCLUSION: The new concept of self-adhesive breast forms is an improvement with respect to social and psychological rehabilitation.

Adult↗

Yield and nutrient content of milk in eight women breast-feeding twins and one woman breast-feeding triplets.

1. The milk yield of eight mothers each breast-feeding twins was determined by test weighing the mothers. Milk yield was determined at 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post partum; however, only one mother was studied at all these times. 2. At 6 months post partum the milk yield for individual breasts of three mothers fully breast-feeding and four mothers partially breast-feeding their infants ranged from 0.84 to 2.16 kg/24 h and 0.42 to 1.39 kg/24 h respectively. The average frequency of breast-feeding for the mothers studied at 6 months post partum was 15.4 feeds/24 h. 3. The milk yield of one mother fully breast-feeding 2.5-month-old triplets was 3.08 kg/24 h and the infants were fed twenty-seven times in 24 h. 4. The concentration of lactose, protein and mixed fat in the milk from individual breasts of mothers fully breast-feeding their infants ranged from 65.6 to 82.2, 7.8 to 15.7 and 16.7 to 46.2 g/l respectively. For the three mothers partially breast-feeding 12-month-old infants the values ranged from 54.8 to 71.8, 14.2 to 19.9 and 4.7 to 40.5 g/l respectively. 5. At 6 and 12 months of age, the proportion of the total energy intake of the infants which was derived from breast milk ranged from 64 to 100% and 6 to 13% respectively. 6. It is concluded that the maximum potential milk yield for women may be higher than the often quoted value of 700-800 ml/24 h.

Adult↗

New challenges in the treatment of early breast cancer or surgery for early breast cancer ... can less be more?

Breast cancer is a major public health problem of great interest and importance to physicians in a variety of specialities. The incidence of the disease has increased dramatically, heightening concern among physicians and women in general. In addition, long-term results are now available from clinical trials initiated in the 1970s and 1980s to evaluate the usefulness of early detection with mammography and physical examination, breast-conserving treatment with limited breast surgery and irradiation, and adjuvant systemic therapy with hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. Furthermore, in the light of newly gained knowledge, new strategies for addressing this problems have been proposed. In this review, we will summarize the evidence evaluating the strategies for diagnosis and therapy initiated in the 1970s and 1980s, and will describe the prospects for prevention and for more specific treatments bases on evolving biologic knowledge. Our review will only focus on early breast cancer, discussing the following topics: Breast Cancer screening: Who should be screened and how often?; New technologies in Breast Cancer Diagnosis; Selection of patients for Breast-conserving therapy; Management of the axilla in primary breast cancer or "Is sentinel lymph node biopsy useful?"; Expanded use of adjuvant systemic therapy; Genetic predisposition for Breast Cancer; Clinical options for Women at high-risk for Breast Cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Breast-feeding duration and growth of fully breast-fed infants in a poor urban Chilean population.

The duration of breast-feeding and the growth of fully breast-fed infants during the first year of life were analyzed according to sex, birth weight, characteristics of the mother, and breast-feeding pattern. All infants (n = 1217) were healthy and fully breast-fed at 30 d postpartum and 63% and 24% were still fully breast-fed at 6 and 12 mo, respectively. The median ages at introduction of nondairy food and of milk supplements were 6.0 and 7.4 mo, respectively. The probability of remaining fully breast-fed for 12 mo was significantly higher in infants with higher birth weight and higher maternal weight, and in infants who breast-fed seven times a day or more in the first 6 mo. The comparison of the monthly weight and length of fully breast-fed infants with the World Health Organization/National Center for Health Statistics reference data showed the adequacy of breastfeeding to support infant growth. When mothers and infants are healthy, breast milk is sufficient to support adequate infant growth and health during the first months of life. The main variables that affect the duration of breast-feeding, nutrition and suckling frequency, are susceptible to interventions by health services. The results reinforce the need to care for maternal nutrition during pregnancy and to provide the support that women need to sustain a high suckling frequency.

Adolescent↗

Geographic variations in breast cancer survival among older women: implications for quality of breast cancer care.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer care, such as utilization of screening procedures and types of treatment received, varies substantially by geographic region of the United States. However, little is known about variations in survival with breast cancer. METHODS: We examined breast cancer incidence, survival, and mortality in the 66 health service areas covered by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program for women aged 65 and older at diagnosis. Incidence and survival data were derived from SEER, while breast cancer mortality data were from Vital Statistics data. RESULTS: There was considerable variation in breast cancer survival among the 66 health service areas (chi2 = 202.7, p <.0001). There was also significant variation in incidence and mortality from breast cancer. In a partial correlation weighted for the size of the health service area, both incidence (r =.812) and percent 5-year survival (r = -.587) correlate with mortality. In a Poisson regression analysis, the combination of variation in incidence and variation in survival explains 90.9% of the variation in mortality. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable geographic variation in survival from breast cancer among older women, and this contributes to variation in breast cancer mortality. Geographic variations in breast cancer mortality should diminish as the quality of breast cancer care becomes more standardized.

Aged↗

Mammographic parenchymal features and breast cancer in the breast cancer detection demonstration project.

The Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP) screened 283,222 U.S. women for breast cancer by use of mammography and breast palpation. A sample of participants was followed up to determine the subsequent occurrence of breast cancer cases and deaths. We have used information from the BCDDP to evaluate the relation of mammographic parenchymal features to the incidence of and mortality from breast cancer, and to examine changes in this relation with duration of follow-up. We also reevaluated the relations of age, body weight, height, menopause, parity, and age at birth of first child to mammographic features of breast tissue. Among women 35-49 years of age at entry, those whose mammographic features were "glandular" or "homogeneously dense" had a 2.8-fold increase in risk of breast cancer compared to women whose mammographic features were "atrophic or fatty". The increased risk was observed up to 9 years after entry. Among women 50-74 years of age at entry, the risk of breast cancer was elevated by a factor of 1.7 for women with glandular or dense breast parenchyma compared to those with atrophic or fatty breasts. The increase in risk, however, diminished with increasing follow-up. The percentage of women with glandular or dense parenchymal features decreased as age, body weight, and parity increased. The percentage with glandular or dense features increased as height increased, and the percentage decreased with menopause. Mammographic parenchymal features were not associated with age at birth of first child.

Adult↗

Tamoxifen therapy for primary breast cancer and risk of contralateral breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Women diagnosed with breast cancer have a twofold to sixfold greater risk of developing contralateral breast cancer than women in the general population have of developing a first breast cancer. Tamoxifen therapy reduces this risk, but it is unclear if this benefit exists for both estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative contralateral tumors. METHODS: Using data from a population-based tumor registry that collects information on the ER status of breast tumors, we followed 8981 women residing in western Washington State who were diagnosed with a primary unilateral invasive breast cancer during the period from 1990 through 1998 to identify cases of contralateral breast cancer. We restricted our analyses to women who were at least 50 years old and whose first breast cancer had a localized or regional stage; women who received adjuvant hormonal therapy but not chemotherapy (n = 4654) were classified as tamoxifen users, while those who received neither adjuvant hormonal therapy nor chemotherapy (n = 4327) were classified as nonusers of tamoxifen. By reviewing selected patient abstracts, we estimated that 94% of the subjects were classified correctly with respect to tamoxifen use. The risk of contralateral breast cancer associated with tamoxifen use was estimated with the use of Cox regression. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Of the 89 tamoxifen users and 100 nonusers of tamoxifen diagnosed with contralateral breast cancer, 112 had ER-positive tumors, 20 had ER-negative tumors, and 57 had tumors with an ER status that was unknown or had not been determined by an immunohistochemical assay. The risk of developing an ER-positive and an ER-negative contralateral tumor among tamoxifen users was 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.5 to 1.1) and 4.9 (95% CI = 1.4 to 17.4), respectively, times that of nonusers of tamoxifen. This difference in risk by ER status was statistically significant (P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Tamoxifen use appears to decrease the risk of ER-positive contralateral breast tumors, but it appears to increase the risk of ER-negative contralateral tumors.

Age Factors↗

Loss of heterozygosity in benign breast epithelium in relation to breast cancer risk.

The multistage model of breast carcinogenesis suggests that errors in DNA replication and repair generate diversity in the breast epithelium (the mutator phenotype), resulting in selection and expansion of premalignant clones with an acquired survival advantage. We measured loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in breast epithelial cells obtained by random fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy from 30 asymptomatic women whose risk of breast cancer had been defined by the Gail model. Polymorphic microsatellite markers were selected on the basis of their relevance to breast cancer. Breast epithelium of 11 (37%) of 30 women had normal cytology, and that of 19 (63%) had proliferative cytology (eight with atypia and 11 without atypia). LOH was detected in two women with normal cytology and in 14 women (seven with atypia and seven without atypia) with proliferative cytology (P =.007). The frequency of LOH was associated with the cytological diagnosis, as well. The mean proportion (range) of informative markers demonstrating LOH was 0.02 (0-0.20) for the 11 women with normal cytology, as compared with 0.15 (0-0.50) for the 19 women with proliferative cytology (P =.02). Mean lifetime risk for developing breast cancer, as calculated by the Gail model, was 16.7% for women with no LOH compared with 22.9% for women with any LOH (P =.05). These observations support a multistage model of breast carcinogenesis where the initiating events are those that result in genomic instability. Accurate individualized breast cancer risk assessment may be possible based on molecular analysis of breast epithelial cells obtained by random FNA.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Bone mineral density and risk of breast cancer: differences by family history of breast cancer. Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group.

Recent studies have suggested that bone mineral density (BMD) is related to risk of breast cancer in elderly women. This study investigated whether the level of breast cancer risk associated with BMD in women with a positive family history of breast cancer is different from that in women without a family history of breast cancer. Radial and calcaneus BMD were measured at baseline (1986-1988) in 7,250 elderly white women enrolled in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, and initial breast cancer status was ascertained at year 1 of follow-up. After a mean of 3.2 years of additional follow-up, 104 incident breast cancer cases, 20 of which appeared in women with a family history of breast cancer, were identified and confirmed by medical record review. Modification of the BMD effect by family history status was assessed by inclusion of interaction terms in proportional hazards regression models. Among women without a family history of breast cancer, those with a proximal radius BMD in the highest tertile were at a 1.48-fold increased risk compared with women in the lowest tertile; among women with a positive family history of breast cancer, those with highest tertile BMD were at a 3.41-fold increased risk compared with women in the lowest tertile. These results suggest that the association between BMD and breast cancer may be different in subgroups of women defined by family history.

Aged↗