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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2008

Open Access 01-12-2008 | Research article

Weight, height, body mass index and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a case-control study

Authors: Ali Montazeri, Jila Sadighi, Faranak Farzadi, Farzaneh Maftoon, Mariam Vahdaninia, Mariam Ansari, Akram Sajadian, Mandana Ebrahimi, Shahpar Haghighat, Iraj Harirchi

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2008

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Abstract

Background

Many women in Iran have a relatively high body mass index. To investigate whether the condition contributes to excess breast cancer cases, a case-control study was conducted to assess the relationships between anthropometric variables and breast cancer risk in Tehran, Iran.

Methods

All incident cases of breast cancer in the Iranian Centre for Breast Cancer (ICBC) were identified through the case records. Eligible cases were all postmenopausal women with histological confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer during 1996 to year 2000. Controls were randomly selected postmenopausal women attending the ICBC for clinical breast examination during the same period. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on weights and heights as measured by the ICBC nursing staff. Both tests for trend and logistic regression analysis were performed to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals as measures of relative risk.

Results

In all, 116 breast cancer cases and 116 controls were studied. There were no significant differences between cases and control with regard to most independent variables studied. However, a significant difference was observed between cases and controls indicating that the mean BMI was higher in cases as compared to controls (P = 0.004). Performing logistic regression analysis while controlling for age, age at menopause, family history of breast cancer and parity, the results showed that women with a BMI in the obese range had a three fold increased risk of breast cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15–8.47].

Conclusion

The results suggest that obesity in postmenopausal women could increase risk of breast cancer and it merits further investigation in populations such as Iran where it seems that many women are short in height, and have a relatively high body mass index.
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Metadata
Title
Weight, height, body mass index and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a case-control study
Authors
Ali Montazeri
Jila Sadighi
Faranak Farzadi
Farzaneh Maftoon
Mariam Vahdaninia
Mariam Ansari
Akram Sajadian
Mandana Ebrahimi
Shahpar Haghighat
Iraj Harirchi
Publication date
01-12-2008
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2008
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-8-278

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