Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking in combination: A predictor of contralateral breast cancer risk in the WECARE study

Abstract

Alcohol drinking and, to a lesser extent, cigarette smoking are risk factors for a first primary breast cancer. Information on these behaviours at diagnosis may contribute to risk prediction of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) and they are potentially modifiable. The WECARE Study is a large population-based case-control study of women with breast cancer where cases (N=1521) had asynchronous CBC and controls (N=2212), matched on survival time and other factors, had unilateral breast cancer (UBC). Using multivariable conditional logistic regression to estimate rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), we examined the risk of CBC in relation to drinking and smoking history at and following first diagnosis. We adjusted for treatment, disease characteristics, and other factors. There was some evidence for an association between CBC risk and current drinking or current smoking at the time of first breast cancer diagnosis, but the increased risk occurred primarily among women exposed to both (RR=1.62, 95% CI 1.24–2.11). CBC risk was also elevated in women who both smoked and drank alcohol after diagnosis (RR=1.54, 95% CI 1.18–1.99). In the subset of women with detailed information on amount consumed, smoking an average of ≥10 cigarettes per day following diagnosis was also associated with increased CBC risk (RR=1.50, 95% CI 1.08–2.08; p-trend=0.03). Among women with a diagnosis of breast cancer, information on current drinking and smoking could contribute to the prediction of CBC risk. Women who both drink and smoke may represent a group who merit targeted lifestyle intervention to modify their risk of CBC.

Genetic variants of genes in the NER pathway associated with risk of breast cancer: A large‐scale analysis of 14 published GWAS datasets in the DRIVE study

“…4 For consistent with the risk SNPs, we transfer the protected SNPs into risk ones. 5 This SNP is a base deletion. Abbreviations: BC, breast cancer; CI, confidence interval; DRIVE, Discovery, Biology and Risk of Inherited Variants in Breast Cancer; NUGs, number of unfavorable genotypes; OR, odd ratio; SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism.…”

“…Although the mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis are still not fully understood, a variety of risk factors has already been identified. [2][3][4][5] Some studies have shown that mammalian cells can convert estrogen into related compounds that not only generate free radicals capable of damaging DNA but also bind to DNA, causing the loss of a nucleotide base, a process known as depurination. The resulting mutations can convert a normal cell into a cancerous one.…”

The impact of lifestyle and reproductive factors on the risk of a second new primary cancer in the contralateral breast: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Eight publications studied the impact of potentially modifiable lifestyle factors (BMI, alcohol use, and smoking) on CBC risk (Table 1) [11,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

“…The meta-analysis on three studies concerning alcohol use (ever vs. never; assessed at first PBC diagnosis) was suggestive of increased CBC risk (RR = 1.15; 95% CI 1.02-1.31; Fig. S4) [19,23,24]. Four studies on smoking did not result in an association with CBC risk (ever vs. never; assessed at first PBC diagnosis; Fig.…”

“…Four studies on smoking did not result in an association with CBC risk (ever vs. never; assessed at first PBC diagnosis; Fig. S5) [19,20,23,24].…”