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Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 2/2010

Open Access 01-02-2010 | Original paper

Active, but not passive cigarette smoking was inversely associated with mammographic density

Authors: Lesley M. Butler, Ellen B. Gold, Shannon M. Conroy, Carolyn J. Crandall, Gail A. Greendale, Nina Oestreicher, Charles P. Quesenberry Jr., Laurel A. Habel

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 2/2010

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Abstract

Purpose

The opposing carcinogenic and antiestrogenic properties of tobacco smoke may explain why epidemiologic studies have not consistently reported positive associations for active smoking and breast cancer risk. A negative relation between mammographic density, a strong breast cancer risk factor, and active smoking would lend support for an antiestrogenic mechanism.

Methods

We used multivariable linear regression to assess the associations of active smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure with mammographic density in 799 pre- and early perimenopausal women in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

Results

We observed that current active smoking was associated with 7.2% lower mammographic density, compared to never active smoking and no SHS exposure (p = 0.02). Starting to smoke before 18 years of age and having smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day were also associated with statistically significantly lower percent densities. Among nulliparous women having smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day was associated with 23.8% lower density, compared to having smoked ≤9 cigarettes/day (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis that tobacco smoke exerts an antiestrogenic effect on breast tissue, but counters the known increased risk of breast cancer with smoking prior to first full-term birth. Thus, our data suggest that the antiestrogenic but not the carcinogenic effects of smoking may be reflected by breast density.
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Metadata
Title
Active, but not passive cigarette smoking was inversely associated with mammographic density
Authors
Lesley M. Butler
Ellen B. Gold
Shannon M. Conroy
Carolyn J. Crandall
Gail A. Greendale
Nina Oestreicher
Charles P. Quesenberry Jr.
Laurel A. Habel
Publication date
01-02-2010
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 2/2010
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9462-4

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