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Milk intake and mammographic density in premenopausal women

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment volume 174, pages 249–255 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Although diet is associated with breast cancer risk, there are limited studies linking adult diet, including milk intake, with mammographic density. Here, we investigate the association of milk intake with mammographic density in premenopausal women.

Methods

We analyzed data from 375 cancer-free premenopausal women who had routine screening mammography at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri in 2016. We used Volpara to measure volumetric percent density, dense volume, and non-dense volume. We collected information on recent milk intake (past 12 months), and categorized skim milk and low/reduced-fat milk intake into 4 groups: < 1/week, 1/week, 2–6 times/week, ≥ 1/day, while whole and soy milk intake were categorized into 2 groups: < 1/week, ≥ 1/week. We used multivariable linear regression model to evaluate the associations of milk intake and log-transformed volumetric percent density, dense volume, and non-dense volume.

Results

In multivariable analyses, volumetric percent density was 20% (p-value = 0.003) lower in the 1/week group, 14% (p-value = 0.047) lower in the 2–6/week group, and 12% (p-value = 0.144) lower in the ≥ 1/day group (p-trend = 0.011) compared with women who consumed low/reduced-fat milk < 1/week. Attenuated and non-significant associations were observed for low/reduced-fat milk intake and dense volume. There were no associations of whole, skim, and soy milk intake with volumetric percent density and dense volume.

Conclusions

Recent low/reduced-fat milk intake was inversely associated with volumetric percent density in premenopausal women. Studies on childhood and adolescent milk intake and adult mammographic density in premenopausal women are needed.

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Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

BI-RADS:

Breast imaging reporting and data system

BMI:

Body mass index

CLA:

Conjugated linoleic acid

ER:

Estrogen receptor

IRB:

Institutional review board

SD:

Standard deviation

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the study coordinators, especially Kellie Imm, and Linda Li who helped with participant recruitment and data entry.

Funding

The study is supported by funds from the Susan G. Komen Foundation (CCR15332379-Dr. Toriola), Siteman Cancer Center Siteman Investment Program supported by The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital Cancer Frontier Fund (BJFH CFF 3781 & 4035) and Washington University School of Medicine; Siteman Cancer Center Biostatistics Shared Resource. The Siteman Cancer Center is supported in part by an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant #P30 CA091842. Dr. Colditz is supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Dr. Han is supported by awards from Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Breast Cancer Research Foundation (Award ID: BCRF-17-028). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of data, preparation of the report, or decision to publish.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8100, 660 South Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 63110, MO, USA

    Yunan Han, Xiaoyu Zong, Yize Li, Graham A. Colditz & Adetunji T. Toriola

  2. Department of Breast Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China

    Yunan Han

  3. Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 63110, MO, USA

    Graham A. Colditz & Adetunji T. Toriola

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  1. Yunan Han
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  2. Xiaoyu Zong
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  3. Yize Li
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  4. Graham A. Colditz
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  5. Adetunji T. Toriola
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adetunji T. Toriola.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval for this study was provided by the Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO Institutional Review Board.

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Cite this article

Han, Y., Zong, X., Li, Y. et al. Milk intake and mammographic density in premenopausal women. Breast Cancer Res Treat 174, 249–255 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-5062-x

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Keywords

  • Milk intake
  • Mammographic density
  • Dairy
  • Diet
  • Breast cancer