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Reproductive and menstrual factors and mammographic density in African American, Caribbean, and white women

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Abstract

Objective

We investigated the associations between reproductive and menstrual risk factors for breast cancer and mammographic density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer, in a predominantly ethnic minority and immigrant sample.

Methods

We interviewed women (42% African American, 22% African Caribbean, 22% White, 9% Hispanic Caribbean, 5% other) without a history of breast cancer during their mammography appointment (n = 191, mean age = 50). We used a computer-assisted method to measure the area and percentage of dense breast tissue from cranio-caudal mammograms. We used multivariable linear regression analyses to estimate the associations between reproductive and menstrual risk factors and mammographic density.

Results

Age was inversely associated with percent density and dense area, and body mass index (BMI) was inversely associated with percent density. Adjusting for age, BMI, ethnicity and menopausal status, later age at menarche (e.g., β = −7.37, 95% CI: −12.29, −2.46 for age ≥13 years vs. ≤11 years), and any use of hormonal birth control (HBC) methods (β = −5.10, 95% CI: −9.37, −0.84) were associated with reduced dense area. Ethnicity and nativity (foreign- vs. US-born) were not directly associated with density despite variations in the distribution of several risk factors across ethnic and nativity groups.

Conclusions

The mean level of mammographic density did not differ across ethnic and nativity groups, but several risk factors for breast cancer were associated with density in ethnic minority and immigrant women.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Diane Levy, Zoe Quandt, Wendy Lewis, Gladys Rivera, Joy White, Jessica Cabildo, and Renata Khanis for assisting with data collection and recruitment activities. Funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute (grant number U54 CA101598) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center Support (grant number ES009089).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Parisa Tehranifar, Julie Flom, Yuyan Liao & Mary Beth Terry

  2. Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Parisa Tehranifar & Mary Beth Terry

  3. School of Nursing, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Diane Reynolds

  4. Department of Psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Elizabeth Kudadjie-Gyamfi

  5. Othmer Cancer Center, Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Loralee Fulton

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  1. Parisa Tehranifar
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Correspondence to Parisa Tehranifar.

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Tehranifar, P., Reynolds, D., Flom, J. et al. Reproductive and menstrual factors and mammographic density in African American, Caribbean, and white women. Cancer Causes Control 22, 599–610 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9733-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9733-8

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