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01-08-2009 | Epidemiology

Alcohol and folate intake and breast cancer risk in the WHI Observational Study

Authors: Christine M. Duffy, Annlouise Assaf, Michele Cyr, Gary Burkholder, Elizabeth Coccio, Tom Rohan, Anne McTiernan, Electra Paskett, Dorothy Lane, V. K. Chetty

Published in: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment | Issue 3/2009

Abstract

Background Alcohol increases breast cancer risk. Epidemiological studies suggest folate may modify this relationship. Objective To examine the relationship among breast cancer, alcohol and folate in the Women’s Health Initiative-Observational Study (WHI-OS). Methods 88,530 postmenopausal women 50–79 years completed baseline questionnaires between October 1993 and December 1998, which addressed alcohol and folate intake and breast cancer risk factors. Cox proportional hazards analysis examined the relationship between self-reported baseline alcohol and folate intake and incident breast cancer. Results 1,783 breast cancer cases occurred over 5 years. Alcohol was associated with increased risk of breast cancer (RR = 1.005, 95%CI 1.001–1.009). Risk increased with consumption of alcohol (up to 5 g/d, adjusted HR = 1.10, 95%CI 0.96–1.32; >5–15 g/d HR = 1.14, 95%CI 0.99–1.31; and >15 g/d HR = 1.13 95%CI 0.96–1.32). We found no significant interaction between alcohol and folate in our adjusted model. Conclusions We found no evidence for folate attenuating alcohol’s effect on breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Our results may be due to misclassification of folate intake or the relatively short follow-up period.

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Helping patients with alcohol problems (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/HelpingPatients.html)

Title: Alcohol and folate intake and breast cancer risk in the WHI Observational Study
Authors: Christine M. Duffy
Annlouise Assaf
Michele Cyr
Gary Burkholder
Elizabeth Coccio
Tom Rohan
Anne McTiernan
Electra Paskett
Dorothy Lane
V. K. Chetty
Publication date: 01-08-2009
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment / Issue 3/2009
Print ISSN: 0167-6806
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7217
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-008-0167-2

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