Influence of selected dietary and lifestyle risk factors on familial propensity to breast cancer

Influence of selected hormonal and lifestyle factors on familial propensity to ovarian cancer

AIM

To study the influence of established risk factors for ovarian cancer in women with a family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer.

METHODS

Italian hospital-based case-control study. Cases were 1031 women with incident epithelial ovarian cancer and controls were 2411 women. Two "Adult life risk scores" (ALRS) were defined combining the effect of hormonal and lifestyle risk factors.

RESULTS

Ovarian cancer risk increased with low number of children, late menopause, never or short oral contraceptive use, physical inactivity, rich red meat intake and low fish, pulse and vegetable intake. For hormonal factors, compared to women without a family history and low ALRS, the odds ratios (OR) was 1.77 for women without family history and high ALRS, 2.51 for women with family history and low ALRS and 5.99 for women with family history and high ALRS. The corresponding values for the lifestyle ALRS were 2.00, 2.24 and 7.43.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention on selected hormonal and lifestyle risk factors might be more important for women with family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer.

Influence of selected lifestyle factors on risk of acute myocardial infarction in subjects with familial predisposition for the disease

BACKGROUND

The joint effect of family history of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and selected adult life risk factors on the risk of the disease is not clear.

METHODS

We used the combined data set from three Italian case-control studies including 1737 cases of incident, nonfatal AMI and 2317 hospital controls, aged less than 75 years. An adult lifestyle risk score (ALRS) was computed, including tobacco, body mass index, physical activity, and consumption of coffee, alcohol, fish, and vegetables.

RESULTS

Compared to the reference category (subjects with no family history of AMI and low ALRS), the risk of AMI was 4.97 (95% confidence intervals, CI: 4.00-6.18) in subjects without family history and high ALRS, 2.19 (95% CI: 1.65-2.90) in subjects with family history and low ALRS, and 11.90 (95% CI: 8.94-15.84) in subjects with family history and high ALRS.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of AMI in subjects with a familial predisposition to ischaemic heart disease might be substantially reduced by intervention on selected lifestyle risk factors for AMI. In absolute terms, any such intervention would be more effective than a comparable one on subjects without a familial predisposition.

Joint effects of family history and adult life dietary risk factors on colorectal cancer risk

BACKGROUND

We analyzed the joint effects of family history of colorectal cancer and adult life dietary risk factors on colorectal cancer risk.

METHODS

We used data from a case-control study conducted in northern Italy between 1985 and 1992, including 1584 cases with colorectal cancer and 2879 controls. We created an adult life dietary risk factor score.

RESULTS

Among subjects with family history of colorectal cancer, those in the lowest risk score tertile were not at elevated risk of colorectal cancer (odds ratio = 1.2; 95% confidence interval = 0.7-2.1), whereas those in the highest score tertile were at increased risk (odds ratio = 5.5; 95% confidence interval = 3.5-8.7).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that the expression of familial susceptibility can be substantially modified by adult life risk factors.

Influence of menstrual and reproductive factors on ovarian cancer risk in women with and without family history of breast or ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

As women with a family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer possibly inherit genetic changes that alter their risk of ovarian cancer, other established risk factors for ovarian cancer may influence the risk differently in women with and without a family history of the disease.

METHODS

Case-control study conducted between 1983 and 1991 in Northern Italy. Cases were 971 women, under 75 years, with incident, histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer, and controls were 2758 women, under 75 years, admitted to hospitals for non-malignant, non-hormone-related conditions, who had not undergone bilateral oophorectomy. Of these, 93 cases and 139 controls had a family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer.

RESULTS

The risk of ovarian cancer increased with irregular menstrual cycles, late age at menopause, natural menopause, nulliparity, never use of oral contraceptives and use of hormone replacement therapy. We computed an 'adult life risk score' (ALRS) considering the combined effect of these factors. Compared to women without a family history and a low ALRS, the OR was 1.7 for women without family history and high ALRS, 1.4 for women with a family history and low ALRS, and 3.5 for women with a family history and high ALRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention on selected hormonal risk factors for ovarian cancer might be important for women with a family history of the disease.