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Risk factors for inflammatory and non-inflammatory breast cancer in North Africa

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

Abstract

Purpose

Studies of the etiology of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare but aggressive breast cancer, have been hampered by limited risk factor information. We extend previous studies by evaluating a broader range of risk factors.

Methods

Between 2009 and 2015, we conducted a case–control study of IBC at six centers in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco; enrolled were 267 IBC cases and for comparison 274 non-IBC cases and 275 controls, both matched on age and geographic area to the IBC cases. We administered questionnaires and collected anthropometric measurements for all study subjects. We used multiple imputation methods to account for missing values and calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using polytomous logistic regression comparing each of the two case groups to the controls, with statistical tests for the difference between the coefficients for the two case groups.

Results

After multivariable adjustment, a livebirth within the previous 2 years (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.8 to 11.7) and diabetes (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.0) were associated with increased risk of IBC, but not non-IBC (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.3 to 2.5 and OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.5 to 1.6 for livebirth and diabetes, respectively). A family history of breast cancer, inflammatory-like breast problems, breast trauma, and low socioeconomic status were associated with increased risk of both tumor types.

Conclusions

We identified novel risk factors for IBC and non-IBC, some of which preferentially increased risk of IBC compared to non-IBC. Upon confirmation, these findings could help illuminate the etiology and aid in prevention of this aggressive cancer.

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Abbreviations

IBC:

Inflammatory breast cancer

ER:

Estrogen receptor

BMI:

Body mass index

OR:

Odds ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

PR:

Progesterone receptor

HER2:

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the women who participated in this study. We also thank the following individuals for their important contributions to the study, including identifying, enrolling, and interviewing study subjects, study management, data keying, logistical support, and translation: Tanta Cancer Center/Gharbiah Cancer Society: Dr. Salwas Samir, Dr. Eman Sobhy, Dr. Mohammed El Kholy, Mr. Khalid Dabboos, Ms. Hanaa Elmenshawy; NCI-Cairo: Dr. Gamal Amira, Dr. Heba Mohamed El Leethy, Dr. Usama Farouk El Nagar, Ms. Walaa Emara, Ms. Magda Hassan, Ms. Hanan Mabrouk; Tunisia: Dr. Karima Mrad, Dr. Dalenda Hentati, Dr. Houda Belfekih, Dr. Nesrine Chraiet, Dr. Amira Daldoul, Dr. Mouna Ayadi, Dr. Bassem Alani, Ms. Leila Fadhlaoui, Ms. Neila Ben Hassen; Ibn Rochd Oncology Center: Prof. Nadia Benchakroun, Dr. Hoda Eddakaoui, Dr. Myriam Hatime, Dr. Soufya Majdoul, Dr. Fadwa Qachach, Dr. Basma Billal, Dr. Hajar Kouss, Dr. Noureddine Matar, Dr. Iman Meziane, Dr. Sara Belkheiri, Dr. Karima Bendahhou, Dr. Majdouline Khounigere, Dr. Ibrahim Khalil Ahmadaye; University Hospital Center Mohammed VI, Marrakech: Dr. Mariam Affane, Dr. Sana Zabroug, Dr. Mouna Darfaoui, Mr. Hicham Jabraoui; IMS (data management and keying): Ms. Leslie Carroll, Mr. Bob Banks, Ms. Bette Griffith, Dr. Carol Giffen, Mr. Michael Spriggs; NCI-USA (logistical support): Mr. David Check, Ms. Prisca N. Fall; Westat (translation): Dr. Susan Crystal-Mansour, and Ms. Jerelyn Bouic. The National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine Interaction Tool used in this work was developed by the Communications Engineering Branch of the National Library of Medicine (Mr. Rodney Long and Mr. Leif Neve). We would also like to thank the Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations (CEESP) Program students who assisted in different parts of the study during their CEESP projects.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program (C.S., R.M.P., S.M.G.), the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (S.D.M.), the Metavivor Foundation (S.D.M.), and CEESSP Program (Grant R25 CA112383) (A.S.S.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Catherine Schairer, Shahinaz M. Gadalla & Ruth M. Pfeiffer

  2. 9609 Medical Center Drive, Rm 7E142, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Ruth M. Pfeiffer

  3. Gharbiah Cancer Society, Tanta, Egypt

    Ahmed Hablas & Ibrahim AbdelBar Seif Eldein

  4. National Cancer Institute, Cairo, Egypt

    Rabab Gaafar, Dalia Aboulazm, Saad Eissa, Ahmed El Bastawisy & Maha Yehia

  5. Institute Salah Azaiz, Tunis, Tunisia

    Henda Rais, Amel Mezlini & Wided Ben Ayoub

  6. Association for the Fight Against Cancer, Tunis, Tunisia

    Farhat Ben Ayed

  7. Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca, Morocco

    Abdellatif Benider & Mehdi Karkouri

  8. Clinique Spécialisée Menara, Marrakech, Morocco

    Ali Tahri

  9. Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech, Morocco

    Mouna Khouchani

  10. Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Sandra M. Swain

  11. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Sofia D. Merajver

  12. RTI International, Rockville, MD, USA

    Linda Morris Brown

  13. Medical School of the City University of New York, New York, USA

    Amr S. Soliman

Authors
  1. Catherine Schairer
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  2. Ahmed Hablas
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  3. Ibrahim AbdelBar Seif Eldein
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  4. Rabab Gaafar
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  5. Henda Rais
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  6. Amel Mezlini
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  7. Farhat Ben Ayed
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  8. Wided Ben Ayoub
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  9. Abdellatif Benider
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  10. Ali Tahri
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  11. Mouna Khouchani
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  12. Dalia Aboulazm
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  13. Mehdi Karkouri
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  14. Saad Eissa
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  15. Ahmed El Bastawisy
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  16. Maha Yehia
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  17. Shahinaz M. Gadalla
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  18. Sandra M. Swain
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  19. Sofia D. Merajver
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  20. Linda Morris Brown
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  21. Ruth M. Pfeiffer
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  22. Amr S. Soliman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruth M. Pfeiffer.

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Conflict of interest

Sandra Swain reports receiving honoraria from Novartis, personal fees from Cardinal Health, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly & Co., Genentech/Roche, Genomic Health, Inivata, Peiris Pharmaceuticals, Tocagen; research support from Genentech; travel and accommodations from Caris Centers of Excellence, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly & Co., Genentech/Roche, NanoString Technologies; and remuneration from AstraZeneca for participation on OlympiA IDMC. The other authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

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All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committees.

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Schairer, C., Hablas, A., Eldein, I.A.S. et al. Risk factors for inflammatory and non-inflammatory breast cancer in North Africa. Breast Cancer Res Treat 184, 543–558 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05864-3

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