A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY ON OBESITY AND SUBCUTANEOUS FAT PATTERNING IN RELATION TO BREAST-CANCER IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN THE DOM PROJECT

The associations of body fat and body fat distribution with breast can cer risk were examined in a prospective study in 9,746 post-menopausal women with a natural menopause, aged 49-66 at intake, participating i n a breast cancer screening project (the DOM project in Utrecht). Duri ng a follow-up period of 15 years (mean follow-up time 12.5 years) 260 women developed breast cancer. Fat distribution, assessed by contrast ing groups of subscapular and triceps skinfold thickness, was found to be unrelated to breast cancer incidence. No significant relationship between body fat, measured either by weight, Quetelet's index, triceps skinfold or subscapular skinfold, and breast cancer risk was found wh en analysed in quartiles. However, women in the upper decile compared with the lower decile of the distribution of Quetelet's index were fou nd to have a 1.9 times (95% CI 1.1-3.3) higher risk for breast cancer. These results seemed to be in contrast with the significant positive association between fatness, analysed in quartiles, and breast cancer observed in a cross-sectional study, based on mammographic screening, carried out previously in the same population. Although the difference s between the present, prospective, study and our cross-sectional stud y may be due to chance it may be that there are differences between ch aracteristics of breast cancer detected at screening and subsequently, which influence the associations between;measures of fatness and risk of breast cancer.