Age at First Birth, Dietary Practices and Breast Cancer Mortality in Various Italian Regions

Abstract

Breast cancer death certification rates in Italy showed a consistent geographic variation, with approximately a 2-fold ratio between the highest rates registered in Northern (and richer) regions, and the lowest ones in the South. This variation in breast cancer mortality was positively and strongly correlated with mean age at first birth (r = +0.73). This positive correlation could not be totally explained by several other economic or dietary variables considered, though some of them substantially reduced the strength of the association. Breast cancer mortality rates were found to be positively correlated with milk, meat and sugar consumption, and negatively with pasta, thus confirming previous studies on national or international scales. These correlation coefficients, however, were considerably reduced after controlling for mean age at first birth. Further, when allowance was made for economic variables and age at first birth, only the correlation coefficients for milk and cheese remained significantly positive. Thus, the evidence from this study suggests that the Italian geographical correlations between breast cancer mortality and dietary variables may be largely explained in terms of reproductive factors, though there may be some effect of dietary variables on breast cancer risk as well.

Mortality trends and past and current dietary factors of breast cancer in Spain

“…Some ecological studies [18,42] conducted in Mediterranean countries found a positive correlation between breast cancer mortality and the consumption of milk and dairy products, although results are not conclusive; more recently, the protective effect of milk consumption has been observed in a casecontrol study [44]. This result is in accordance with findings when using breast cancer SMR in the multiple regression analysis.…”

“…La Vecchia and Pampallona [18], on the other hand, found a negative correlation, no significant after adjustment for other variables. Pasta consumption in Italy is 10 times that of Spain [20] and has a negative correlation with income level, while in Spain the correlation is positive.…”

“…Other ecological studies about diet and breast cancer that used simple correlation coefficients in the statistical analysis, obtained similar results. At least eight ecological studies found a positive correlation with meat consumption [ 14,15,[17][18][19][20][21], five found one with animal fat [15,17,[21][22][23] and fourteen studies out of eighteen obtained a positive correlation with total fat consumption [14-17, 21, 22, 24-30]. Only one study did not find a correlation with meat consumption [43].…”

Environmental Factors and Cancer Mortality in Italy: Correlational Excercise

“…II,28], and find support in evidence from case-control studies reporting an elevated rate of breast cancer in association with a high-fat diet and over weight [29,30]. Furthermore, breast cancer death rates in various Italian regions were positively correlat ed with average age at first birth [31] and negatively with mean number of births per woman in fertile age.…”

Η Συμβολη Των Κυτταρολογικων Εξετασεων Στη Διαγνωση Του Καρκινου Του Μαστου

“…Η πρώτη τελειόμηνη εγκυμοσύνη πριν από το 20ο έτος της ηλικίας δρα προστατευτικά στο ενδεχόμενο μελλοντικής προσβολής από καρκίνο μαστού (3,19,57,58,107,109,110).…”