INTAKE OF SELECTED FOODS AND NUTRIENTS AND BREAST-CANCER RISK - AN AGE-SPECIFIC AND MENOPAUSE-SPECIFIC ANALYSIS

The relationship between selected foods and nutrients and breast cance r risk was investigated in strata of age and menopausal status using d ata from a case-control study on breast cancer conducted between June 1991 and April 1994 in six Italian areas. Cases were 2,569 women with histologically confirmed incident breast cancer admitted to the major teaching and general hospitals of the study areas; controls were 2, 58 8 women with no history of cancer admitted to hospitals in the same ca tchment area as cases for acute, nonneoplastic, nongynecological condi tions unrelated to hormonal or digestive tract diseases or to long-ter m modifications of diet. Dietary habits were investigated using a vali dated food frequency questionnaire, including 78 foods or food groups. Among food groups, bread was directly and significantly related to br east cancer risk in older women and, consequently, in postmenopause, w hereas the protection conferred by fish consumption was stronger in po st-menopause and that exerted by raw vegetables was stronger in premen opause. Among nutrients, unsaturated fatty acids were inversely relate d to breast cancer risk, the association being stronger in postmenopau sal and elderly women; The pattern was similar for total fats. For sta rch, available carbohydrates, and total proteins, no heterogeneity eme rged across strata of age and menopausal status. Among micronutrients, protection diminished with increasing age for beta-carotene and calci um, whereas no heterogeneity emerged for vitamin E. Thus this age-spec ific analysis of the largest investigation to dare on diet and breast cancer did nor show any consistent pattern of-breast cancer risk in re lation to selected dietary factors across strata of age and menopausal status.