Higher alcohol intake may modify the association between mammographic density and breast cancer: An analysis of three case–control studies
A partir des données de trois études cas-témoins en population japonaise, hawaïienne ou californienne, cette étude montre qu'une consommation élevée d'alcool peut modifier l'association entre la densité mammographique et le risque de cancer du sein (1 207 cas et 1 663 témoins)
Alcohol consumption and mammographic density are established risk factors for breast cancer. This study examined whether the association of mammographic density with breast cancer varies by alcohol intake. Mammographic density was assessed in digitized images for 1207 cases and 1663 controls from three populations (Japan, Hawaii, California) using a computer-assisted method. Associations were estimated by logistic regression. When comparing ever to never drinking, mean density was similar and consumption was not associated with breast cancer risk. However, within the Hawaii/Japan subset, women consuming >1 drink/day had a non-significantly elevated relative risk compared to never drinkers. Also in the Hawaii/Japan population, alcohol intake only modified the association between mammographic density and breast cancer in women consuming >1 drink/day (pinteraction = 0.05) with significant risk estimates of 3.65 and 6.58 for the 2nd and 3rd density tertiles as compared to 1.57 and 1.61 for never drinkers in Hawaii/Japan. Although these findings suggest a stronger association between mammographic density and breast cancer risk for alcohol consumers, the small number of cases requires caution in interpreting the results.