PARITY, AGE AT FIRST BIRTH AND THE RISK OF CARCINOMA IN-SITU OF THE BREAST

Epidemiological studies of in situ breast cancer are sparse, and the r ole of reproductive history, an established risk modifier for invasive breast cancer, remains incompletely investigated. To examine possible associations with parity and age at first birth, we undertook a case- control study nested in a nationwide cohort of Swedish women. The repr oductive history of 1,368 women aged 65 or younger with a diagnosis of carcinoma in site of the breast were compared with that of 6,837 age- matched controls drawn randomly from a population-based Fertility Regi stry. Statistical analyses were performed by conditional logistic regr ession. Compared to nulliparous women, ever-parous women were at a red uced risk of carcinoma in situ of the breast. The risk decreased with number of live births, with the estimated risk reduction in the highes t parity group (5 +), being of the same magnitude as that reported for invasive breast cancer. By contrast, a positive association with incr easing age at first birth was somewhat less pronounced than that obser ved previously in the same data set with respect to invasive breast ca ncer. Our findings indicate that parity affects the risk of invasive b reast cancer and carcinoma in situ similarly, whereas the effect of ag e at first birth appears to be weaker for the risk of carcinoma (C) 19 98 Wiley-Liss, Inc.