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Body size and breast cancer in a black population—The Barbados National Cancer Study

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the relationship between body size and incident breast cancer in an African-origin Caribbean population.

Methods

This investigation is based on 222 incident breast cancer cases and 454 controls from the Barbados National Cancer Study (BNCS) in whom body size variables that included height, weight, body-mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences (WC, HC), and waist−hip ratio (WHR) were compared. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed and the findings are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Although 33% of cases and 39% of controls were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), BMI was not found to be a significant predictor of breast cancer in the multivariate analyses. Tall stature increased risk among women ≥50 years (OR = 2.16, 95% CI (1.02, 4.58)), and a dual effect with age was suggested for both WC and WHR (decreased risk for those aged ≤50 years; increased risk among those ≥50 years).

Conclusions

Body size appears to influence the risk of breast cancer in this population of African origin. The BNCS data suggest that a few, but not all body size factors play a role in breast cancer risk, and that age may affect these relationships.

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Acknowledgment

Funded by: N01HG25487, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda, MD.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, L3 HSC Room 086, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8036, USA

    Barbara Nemesure, Suh-Yuh Wu, Anselm Hennis & M. Cristina Leske

  2. Chronic Disease Research Centre, University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados

    Anselm Hennis

  3. Ministry of Health, Bridgetown, Barbados

    Anselm Hennis

Authors
  1. Barbara Nemesure
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  2. Suh-Yuh Wu
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  3. Anselm Hennis
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  4. M. Cristina Leske
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Consortia

Barbados National Cancer Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbara Nemesure.

Barbados National Cancer Study Group

Barbados National Cancer Study Group

Investigators

Coordinating Center: M. Cristina Leske, MD, MPH; Barbara Nemesure, PhD; Suh-Yuh Wu, MA; Karen Kelleher; Melinda Santoro: Department of Preventive Medicine, University at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY.

Clinical Center: Anselm Hennis, PhD, FRCP, FACP; Celia Greaves, MSc; Nastassia Rambarran, MBBS; Rachel Harris, MSc; Pissamai Maul; Wendy Browne; Shirley Reeves; Helen Hackett: Winston Scott Polyclinic, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Local Laboratory Center: Lyndon Waterman, PhD; Ronald Worrell, BSc: University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Gene Discovery Center: John Carpten, PhD; Jeffrey Trent, PhD: TGen Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ.

NHGRI: Joan Bailey-Wilson, PhD: National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD.

CRCH: Gita Sharma, PhD: Cancer Research Center, Hawaii.

Scientific Advisory Committee

Agnes Baffoe-Bonnie, MD, PhD; Louise Brinton, PhD, MPH; Olufunmilayo Olopade, MB, BS, FACP; Tim Rebbeck, PhD; Duncan Thomas, PhD.

Barbados Advisory Committee

Professor Trevor A. Hassell, GCM, MBBS, FRCP, FACC; Professor Henry Fraser, GCM, MBBS, FRCP, FACP; Dr. Beverley Barnett, MBBS, MPH; Dr. Jerry Emtage, MBBS, FRCS(C); Mr. Selwyn Ferdinand, MBBS, FRCS (Edin); The Honorable Mr. Justice W. Leroy Inniss, QC; Dr. Timothy Roach, MBBS, FRCP; Dr. Beverley Miller, MBBS.

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Nemesure, B., Wu, SY., Hennis, A. et al. Body size and breast cancer in a black population—The Barbados National Cancer Study. Cancer Causes Control 20, 387–394 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9253-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9253-3

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