Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Alcohol consumption and mammographic density in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We examined the association between alcohol consumption and mammographic density (MD) considering in detail the time of exposure and the type of alcohol.

Methods

Of 5,356 women (4,489 post-menopausal) from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort (1993–1997) who attended mammographic screening in Copenhagen (1993–2001), we used MD (mixed/dense or fatty) assessed at the first screening after cohort entry. Alcohol consumption was assessed at the time of recruitment. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations [odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI)] between alcohol consumption and MD.

Results

The mean age was 56.2 years, 56.5% of women had mixed/dense MD, and 91.8% were alcohol consumers. There was no association between current alcohol consumption and MD at baseline (age 50–65, on average 1 year before MD assessment) neither between age at drinking initiation and MD, in the fully adjusted model. There was a borderline statistically significantly increased OR of having mixed/dense MD in women who consumed > 7 drinks/week at age 20–29 (1.31, 95% CI 1.00–1.72) compared to non-drinkers in this age group, and no effect of drinking at age 30–39, 40–49 or after > 50 years, when adjusting for current drinking. However, when considering different types of alcohol, drinking spirits at age 20–29 was positively associated with mixed/dense breast (3–7 drinks/week: OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.12–2.72); >7 drinks/week: (OR 1.76, 95% CI 0.73–4.23). No consistent pattern was found with beer, wine, or fortified wine.

Conclusions

We found higher MD among women with high alcohol consumption in early adulthood (ages 20–29), in those drinking spirits.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hamajima N, Hirose K, Tajima K, Rohan T, Calle EE, Heath CW Jr et al (2002) Alcohol, tobacco and breast cancer—collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 53 epidemiological studies, including 58,515 women with breast cancer and 95,067 women without the disease. Br J Cancer 87:1234–1245

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ellison RC, Zhang Y, McLennan CE, Rothman KJ (2001) Exploring the relation of alcohol consumption to risk of breast cancer. Am J Epidemiol 154:740–747

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Morch LS, Johansen D, Thygesen LC, Tjonneland A, Lokkegaard E, Stahlberg C et al (2007) Alcohol drinking, consumption patterns and breast cancer among Danish nurses: a cohort study. Eur J Public Health 17:624–629

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Suzuki R, Orsini N, Mignone L, Saji S, Wolk A (2008) Alcohol intake and risk of breast cancer defined by estrogen and progesterone receptor status—a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Int J Cancer 122:1832–1841

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Key J, Hodgson S, Omar RZ, Jensen TK, Thompson SG, Boobis AR et al (2006) Meta-analysis of studies of alcohol and breast cancer with consideration of the methodological issues. Cancer Causes Control 17:759–770

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Romieu I, Scoccianti C, Chajès V, de Batlle J, Biessy C, Dossus L, Baglietto L, Clavel-Chapelon F, Overvad K, Olsen A, Tjønneland A, Kaaks R, Lukanova A, Boeing H, Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P, Trichopoulos D, Palli D, Sieri S, Tumino R, Vineis P, Panico S, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, van Gils CH, Peeters PH, Lund E, Skeie G, Weiderpass E, Quirós García JR, Chirlaque MD, Ardanaz E, Sánchez MJ, Duell EJ, Amiano P, Borgquist S, Wirfält E, Hallmans G, Johansson I, Nilsson LM, Khaw KT, Wareham N, Key TJ, Travis RC, Murphy N, Wark PA, Ferrari P, Riboli E (2015) Alcohol intake and breast cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Int J Cancer 137(8):1921–1930

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Seitz HK, Pelucchi C, Bagnardi V, La Vecchia C (2012) Epidemiology and pathophysiology of alcohol and breast cancer: update 2012. Alcohol Alcoholism 47:204–412

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Dumitrescu RG, Shields PG (2005) The etiology of alcohol-induced breast cancer. Alcohol 35:213–225

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Oyesanmi O, Snyder D, Sullivan N et al (2010) Alcohol consumption and cancer risk: understanding possible causal mechanisms for breast and colorectal cancers. Evid Rep Technol Assess 197:1–151

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fernandez SV (2011) Estrogen, alcohol consumption, and breast cancer. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 35:389–391

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Singletary KW, Gapstur SM (2001) Alcohol and breast cancer: review of epidemiologic and experimental evidence and potential mechanisms. JAMA 286:2143–2151

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jayasekara H, MacInnis RJ, Room R, English DR (2016) Long-term alcohol consumption and breast, upper aero-digestive tract and colorectal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Alcohol 51(3):315–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Boyd NF, Martin LJ, Bronskill M, Yaffe MJ, Duric N, Minkin S (2010) Breast tissue composition and susceptibility to breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 102:1224–1237

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Boyd NF, Martin LJ, Yaffe MJ, Minkin S (2011) Mammographic density and breast cancer risk: current understanding and future prospects. Breast Cancer Res 13:223

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Boyd NF, Connelly P, Byng J, Yaffe M, Draper H, Little L, Jones D, Martin LJ, Lockwood G, Tritchler D (1995) Plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and mammographic densities. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 4(7):727–733

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Frydenberg H, Flote VG, Larsson IM, Barrett ES, Furberg AS, Ursin G, Wilsgaard T, Ellison PT, McTiernan A, Hjartåker A, Jasienska G, Thune I (2015) Alcohol consumption, endogenous estrogen and mammographic density among premenopausal women. Breast Cancer Res 17:103

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Yaghjyan L, Mahoney MC, Succop P et al (2012) Relationship between breast cancer risk factors and mammographic breast density in the Fernald Community Cohort. Br J Cancer 106:996–1003

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Trinh T, Christensen SE, Brand JS, Cuzick J, Czene K, Sjölander A, Bälter K, Hall P (2015) Background risk of breast cancer influences the association between alcohol consumption and mammographic density. Br J Cancer 113(1):159–165

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Vachon CM, Kuni CC, Anderson K, Anderson VE, Sellers TA (2000) Association of mammographically defined percent breast density with epidemiologic risk factors for breast cancer (United States). Cancer Causes Control 11(7):653–662

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Quandt Z, Flom JD, Tehranifar P, Reynolds D, Terry MB, McDonald JA (2015) The association of alcohol consumption with mammographic density in a multiethnic urban population. BMC Cancer 15:1094

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Voevodina O, Billich C, arand B, Nage LG (2013) Association of Mediterranean diet, dietary supplements and alcohol consumption with breast density among women in South Germany: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 13:203

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Flom JD, Ferris JS, Tehranifar P, Terry MB (2009) Alcohol intake over the life course and mammographic density. Breast Cancer Res Treat 117:643–651

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Vachon CM, Kushi LH, Cerhan JR, Kuni CC, Sellers TA (2000) Association of diet and mammographic breast density in the Minnesota breast cancer family cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 9:151–160

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Brand JS, Czene K, Eriksson L, Trinh T, Bhoo-Pathy N, Hall P, Celebioglu F (2013) Influence of lifestyle factors on mammographic density in postmenopausal women. PLoS ONE 8(12):e81876

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Maskarinec G, Takata Y, Pagano I, Lurie G, Wilkens LR, Kolonel LN (2006) Alcohol consumption and mammographic density in a multiethnic population. Int J Cancer May 118(10):2579–2583

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. McDonald JA, Michels KB, Cohn BA, Flom JD, Tehranifar P, Terry MB (2016) Alcohol intake from early adulthood to midlife and mammographic density. Cancer Causes Control 27(4):493–502

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Masala G, Ambrogetti D, Assedi M, Giorgi D, Del Turco MR, Palli D (2006) Dietary and lifestyle determinants of mammographic breast density. A longitudinal study in a Mediterranean population. Int J Cancer 118(7):1782–1789

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Cabanes A, Pastor-Barriuso R, Garcia-Lopez M, Pedraz-Pingarron C, Sanchez-Contador C, Vazquez Carrete JA, Moreno MP, Vidal C, Salas D, Miranda-Garcia J, Peris M, Moreo P, Santamarina MC, Collado-Garcia F, Gonzalez-Roman I, Ascunce N, Pollan M, Spain DDM (2011) Alcohol, tobacco, and mammographic density: a population-based study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 129:135–147

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vachon CM, Sellers TA, Janney CA, Brandt KR, Carlson EE, Pankratz VS, Wu FF, Therneau TM, Cerhan JR (2005) Alcohol intake in adolescence and mammographic density. Int J Cancer Dec 117(5):837–841

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Gapstur SM, López P, Colangelo LA, Wolfman J, Van Horn L, Hendrick RE (2003) Associations of breast cancer risk factors with breast density in Hispanic women Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12(10):1074–1080

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Ishihara S, Taira N, Kawasaki K, Ishibe Y, Mizoo T, Nishiyama K, Iwamoto T, Nogami T, Motoki T, Shien T, Matsuoka J, Doihara H, Komoike Y, Sato S, Kanazawa S (2013) Association between mammographic breast density and lifestyle in Japanese womenActa. Med Okayama 67(3):145–151

    Google Scholar 

  32. Qureshi SA, Couto E, Hofvind S, Wu AH, Ursin G (2011) Alcohol intake and mammographic density in postmenopausal Norwegian women. Breast Cancer Res Treat 131(3):993–1002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Sala E, Warren R, Duffy S, Welch A, Luben R, Day N (2000) High risk mammographic parenchymal patterns and diet: a case-control study. Br J Cancer 83(1):121–126

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Herrinton LJ, Saftlas AF, Stanford JL, Brinton LA, Wolfe JN (1993) Do alcohol intake and mammographic densities interact in regard to the risk of breast cancer? Cancer 71(10):3029–3035

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Tjonneland A, Olsen A, Boll K, Stripp C, Christensen J, Engholm G et al (2007) Study design, exposure variables, and socioeconomic determinants of participation in Diet, Cancer and Health: a population-based prospective cohort study of 57,053 men and women in Denmark. Scand J Public Health 35:432–441

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Tjønneland A, Christensen J, Thomsen BL, Olsen A, Stripp C, Overvad K, Olsen JH (2004) Lifetime alcohol consumption and postmenopausal breast cancer rate in Denmark: a prospective cohort study. J Nutr 134(1):173–178

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Vejborg I, Olsen AH, Jensen MB, Rank F, Tange UB, Lynge E (2002) Early outcome of mammography screening in Copenhagen 1991-99. J Med Screen 9:115–119

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. American College of Radiology (2003) Breast imaging and data system (BIRADS). 4 edn

  39. Hodge R, Hellmann SS, von Euler-Chelpin M, Vejborg I, Andersen ZJ (2014) Comparison of Danish dichotomous and BI-RADS classifications of mammographic density. Acta Radiol Short Rep 3:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  40. Olsen AH, Bihrmann K, Jensen MB, Vejborg I, Lynge E (2009) Breast density and outcome of mammography screening: a cohort study. Br J Cancer 100:1205–1208

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Pedersen CB (2011) The Danish civil registration system. Scand J Public Health 39:22–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Ziembicki S, Zhu J, Tse E, Martin LJ, Minkin S, Boyd NF (2017) The association between alcohol consumption and breast density: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 26(2):170–178

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Jacobsen KK, Lynge E, Vejborg I, Tjønneland A, von Euler-Chelpin M, Andersen ZJ (2016) Cigarette smoking and mammographic density in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort. Cancer Causes Control 27(2):271–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Seitz HK, Pelucchi C, Bagnardi V, La Vecchia C (2012) Epidemiology and pathophysiology of alcohol and breast cancer: update 2012. Alcohol Alcohol 47(3):204–212

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Dumitrescu RG, Shields PG (2005) The etiology of alcohol-induced breast cancer. Alcohol 35(3):213–225

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Medina D (2013) Pregnancy protection of breast cancer: new insights reveal unanswered questions. Breast Cancer Res 15(3):103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  47. Musey VC, Collins DC, Musey PI, Martino-Saltzman D, Preedy JR (1987) Long-term effect of a first pregnancy on the secretion of prolactin. New Engl J Med 316(5):229–234

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Bernstein L, Pike MC, Ross RK, Judd HL, Brown JB, Henderson BE (1985) Estrogen and sex hormone-binding globulin levels in nulliparous and parous women. J Natl Cancer Inst 74(4):741–745

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Technology, Faculty of Health and Technology, Metropolitan University College, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Katja Kemp Jacobsen

  2. Centre for Epidemiology and Screening, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Elsebeth Lynge, My von Euler-Chelpin & Zorana J. Andersen

  3. Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Anne Tjønneland

  4. Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ilse Vejborg

Authors
  1. Katja Kemp Jacobsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elsebeth Lynge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne Tjønneland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ilse Vejborg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. My von Euler-Chelpin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zorana J. Andersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katja Kemp Jacobsen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 11 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jacobsen, K.K., Lynge, E., Tjønneland, A. et al. Alcohol consumption and mammographic density in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort. Cancer Causes Control 28, 1429–1439 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-017-0970-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-017-0970-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation