Skip to main content
Log in

Association of body mass index, physical activity, and reproductive histories with breast cancer: a case-control study in Gifu, Japan

  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To further clarify risk factors for breast cancerin Japanese women, a self-administered questionnaire was completedby 157 cases with histologically confirmed breast cancerfrom 1989 to 1993 and by 369 ageand residential area matched controls in Gifu, Japan.Conditional logistic regression model was used to assessthe relations. Multivariate analyses showed that breast cancerrisk decreased with body mass index for premenopausalwomen (RR=0.45; 95% CI=0.22–0.92for BMI ≥ 23 vs. < 21 (kg/m2)),but the risk increased with body mass indexfor postmenopausal women (RR=1.98; 95% CI= 0.86–4.55 for BMI ≥ 24 vs. <21.5 (kg/m2)). The risk increased with a smallnumber of births in pre- and post-menopausal women(1.83; 1.11–2.99 and 6.06; 2.40–15.3 for 1–2 birthsand nulliparity, respectively, vs. ≥ 3 births). Ex-or current smoking increased the risk of breastcancer (2.31; 1.19–4.49). Reduced risk of premenopausal breastcancer was associated with high energy expenditure inphysical activity during teenage, although the trend wasnot statistically significant.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Parkin DM, Muir CS, Whelan SL, Gao YT, Ferlay J, Powell J: Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, vol VI. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, 1992, pp 956–957

    Google Scholar 

  2. De Waard F, Cornelis JP, Aoki K, Yoshida M: Breast cancer incidence according to weight and height in two cities of the Netherlands and in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Cancer 40: 1269–1275, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  3. Howe GR, Friedenreich CM, Jain M, Miller AB: A cohort study of fat intake and risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 83: 336–340, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bernstein L, Ross RK: Endogenous hormones and breast cancer risk. Epidemiol Rev 15: 48–65, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kvale G, Heuch I: Menstrual factors and breast cancer risk. Cancer 62: 1625–1631, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  6. Yuan J-M, Yu MC, Ross RK, Gao Y-U, Henderson BE: Risk factors for breast cancer in Chinese women in Shanghai. Cancer Res 48: 1949–1953, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  7. Research Group for Population-based Cancer Registration in Japan. Cancer incidence and incidence rates in Japan in 1985 — estimates based on data from seven population-based cancer registries. Jpn J Clin Oncol 20: 212–218, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  8. Tajima K, Hirose K, Ogawa H, Yoshida M, Ota M: A comparative case-control study of cancers of breast and uterine cervix. Gan No Rinsho 36: 351–357, 1990 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kato I, Miura S, Kasumi F, Iwase T, Tashiro H, Fujita Y, et al. A case-control study of breast cancer among Japanese women: with special reference to family history and reproductive and dietary factors. Breast Cancer Res Treat 24: 51–59, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hirohata T, Shigematsu T, Nomura AMY, Nomura Y, Horie A, Hirohata I: Occurrence of breast cancer in relation to diet and reproductive history: a case-control study in Fukuoka, Japan. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 69: 187–190, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hirose K, Tajima K, Hamajima N, Inoue M, Takezaki T, Kuroishi T et al. A large-scape, hospital-based case-control study of risk factors of breast cancer according to menopausal status. Jpn J Cancer Res 86: 146–154, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  12. Yoo K-Y, Tajima K, Kuroishi T, Hirose K, Yoshida M, Miura S et al. Independent protective effect of lactation against breast cancer: a case-control study in Japan. Am J Epidemiol 135: 726–733, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kvale G, Heuch I: Lactation and cancer risk: Is there a relation specific to breast cancer? J Epidemiol Community Health 42: 30–37, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  14. London SJ, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Rosner BA, Corsano K et al.: Lactation and risk of breast cancer in a cohort of US women. Am J Epidemiol 132: 17–26, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  15. Brinton LA, Potischman NA, Swanson CA, Schoenberg JB, Coates RJ, Gammon MD et al.: Breastfeeding and breast cancer risk. Cancer Causes Control 6: 199–208, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  16. United Kingdom National Case-Control Study Group. Breast feeding and risk of breast cancer in young women. Br Med J 307: 17–20, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  17. Newcomb PA, Storer BE, Longnecker MP, Mittendorf R, Greenberg ER, Clapp RW et al.: Lactation and a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer. N Engl J Med 330: 81–87, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  18. Wynder EL, MacCornack FA, Stellman SD: The epidemiology of breast cancer in 785 United States Caucasian women. Cancer 41: 2341–2354, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kalache A, Vessey MP, McPherson K: Lactation and breast cancer. Br Med J 280: 223–224, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  20. MacMahon B, Purde M, Cramer D, Hint E: Association of breast cancer risk with age at first and subsequent births: a study in the population of the Estonian Republic. N Natl Cancer Inst 69: 1035–1038, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  21. SAS Institute in Japan: Conditional Logistic Regression for M:N Matching. SAS Technical Report J-117, SAS/STAT Software: Lifetest, Phreg Procedure, Release 6.04, 6.07. SAS Institute in Japan, Tokyo, 1993, pp 80–82 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Numajiri K: Measurement and evaluation of physical activity. Energy metabolism of the physical activity. Research Institute of Labor Science, Tokyo, 1974, pp 285–287 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hatano Y: Measurement methods of energy expenditure. In: Nakano S, Kurihara S, Ito A, Hatano Y, Masa S, Ikeda Y, et al. (eds) Illustration: Mechanism and application of physical training on human body. Ishiyaku-Shuppan, Tokyo, 1982, pp 236–237 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  24. London SJ, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Rosner B, Speizer FE: Prospective study of relative weight, height, and risk of breast cancer. JAMA 262: 2853–2858, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  25. Willett WC, Browne ML, Bain C, Lipnick RJ, Stampfer MJ, Rosner B et al.: Relative weight and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol 122: 731–740, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wakai K, Ohno Y, Watanabe S, Sakamoto G, Kasumi F, Suzuki S et al.: Risk factors for breast cancer among Japanese women in Tokyo: a case-control study. J Epidemiol 4: 65–71, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  27. Kvale G, Heuch I, Eide GE: A prospective study of reproductive factors and breast cancer. Am J Epidemiol 126: 831–841, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ewertz M, Duffy SW, Adami H-O, Kvale G, Lund E, Meirik O et al.: Age at first birth, parity and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of 8 studies from the Nordic countries. Int J Cancer 46: 597–603, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  29. Frisch RE, Wyshak G, Albright NL, Albright TE, Schiff I, Jones KP et al.: Lower prevalence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes compared to non-athletes. Br J Cancer 52: 885–891, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  30. Bernstein L, Ross RK, Lobo RA, Hanisch R, Krailo MD, Henderson BE: The effects of moderate physical activity on menstrual cycle patterns in adolescence: implications for breast cancer prevention. Br J Cancer 55: 681–685, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  31. Bernstein L, Henderson BE, Hanisch R, Sullivan-Halley J, Ross RK: Physical exercise and reduced risk of breast cancer in young women. J Natl Cancer Inst 86: 1403–1408, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  32. Dorgan JF, Brown C, Barrett M, Splansky GL, Kreger BE, D'Agostino et al.: Physical activity and risk of breast cancer in the Framingham heart study. Am J Epidemiol 139: 662–669, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  33. Prentice RL, Pepe M, Self SG: Dietary fat and breast cancer: a quantitative assessment of the epidemiological literature and a discussion of methodological issues. Cancer Res 49: 3147–3156, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  34. MacMahon B, Trichopoulos D, Brown J, Anderson AP, Cole P, DeWaard F et al.: Age at menarche, urine estrogens and breast cancer risk. Int J Cancer 30: 427–431, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  35. Shimizu H, Ross RK, Bernstein L, Yatani R, Henderson BE, Mack TM: Cancers of the prostate and breast among Japanese and white immigrants in Los Angeles County. Br J Cancer 63: 963–966, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  36. Parkin DM, Muir CS, Whelan SL, Gao YT, Ferlay J, Powell J: Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, Vol VI. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, 1992, pp 498–501

    Google Scholar 

  37. Watanabe H, Yamaguchi S, Fukuda M, Itoh S, Ogita M, Tashiro H et al.: An overview of breast cancer mass screening in Japan. J Jpn Soc Cancer Ther 25: 103–111, 1990 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hu, YH., Nagata, C., Shimizu, H. et al. Association of body mass index, physical activity, and reproductive histories with breast cancer: a case-control study in Gifu, Japan. Breast Cancer Res Treat 43, 65–72 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005745824388

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005745824388

Navigation