BREAST-CANCER AND LACTATION HISTORY IN MEXICAN WOMEN

The authors conducted a case-control study in Mexico City between Sept ember 1990 and December 1992 to determine whether a dose-response rela tion could be observed between duration of lactation and the risk of b reast cancer. Cases, women aged 20-75 years, were identified through s ix hospitals in Mexico City (n = 349) and were interviewed to obtain d ata on risk factors for breast cancer, including a detailed history of lactation. Controls (n = 1,005) were selected from the general popula tion using the Mexican national sampling frame. Parous women who had e ver lactated had a reduction in breast cancer risk (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.62). A small de creasing trend of breast cancer risk in relation to duration of lactat ion (p < 0.001) was observed. Compared with parous women who had never breast-fed, women who had breast-fed for 12-24 months had an age-adju sted odds ratio of 0.47 (95% CI 0.27-0.83). A stronger protective effe ct was observed with lactation duration for the first live birth among pre- and postmenopausal women (for 4-12 months of lactation, OR = 0.5 6 (95 percent CI 0.32-0.96) and OR = 0.48 (95 percent CI 0.29-0.81) in pre- and postmenopausal women, respectively). Adjusting for potential ly confounding factors modified these results only slightly. The decli ning trend in fertility and lactation among Mexican women could lead t o a major epidemic of breast cancer such as that observed in Western c ountries.