Low incidence of familial breast cancer among Hispanic women

Abstract

There is a paucity of data on familial patterns of breast cancer among minority populations. This study compared the frequency of cancer in 1,095 first-degree relatives of 50 White, 46 Black, and 49 Hispanic breast-cancer patients referred to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (United States). Family histories of cancer were derived from a self-administered questionnaire on risk factors. Expected numbers of cancers were calculated from the Connecticut Tumor Registry for White and Black relatives and from the New Mexico Tumor Registry for Hispanic relatives. Family history of a first-degree relative with breast cancer was the most important risk factor for both Black and White patients. Significantly elevated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for breast cancer were noted among White (SIR=4.5, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.2–11.4) and Black (SIR=4.1, CI=1.1–10.4) relatives younger than age 45. Despite the small number of Black patients, the combined effect of family history of breast cancer and the relative's age at diagnosis (under 45 years) was associated with an SIR of 7.1 (CI=1.9–18.1). A deficit of cancer was noted in Hispanic women; only one patient reported having a first-degree relative with breast cancer. These findings, although based on small numbers, suggest that Hispanics have a lower rate of familial breast cancer than Whites and Blacks, and that they may possess protective factors that reduce their risk for breast cancer.