MACRONUTRIENTS, ENERGY-INTAKE, AND BREAST-CANCER RISK - IMPLICATIONS FROM DIFFERENT MODELS

We used data from a case control study, conducted in Italy on 2,569 in cident cases of breast cancer and 2,588 controls, to fit various energ y adjustment models in the estimate of the effect of selected nutrient s and alcohol on breast cancer risk. When we fit the standard multivar iate and residual models, including total energy intake and the differ ent macronutrients one at a time, the odds ratios (OR) related to 100 kcal per day were 0.90 for protein, 0.96 for saturated fat, 0.88 for u nsaturated fat, 0.95 for sugar, 1.07 for starch, and 1.06 for alcohol. When we included all of the different sources of calorie intake in a single model with energy sources partitioned, the OR of adding 100 kca l per day was 0.91 for protein, 1.22 for saturated fat, 0.89 for unsat urated fat, 0.98 for sugar, 1.08 for starch, and 1.07 for alcohol. The estimates from the residual models that included various macronutrien ts separately were similar to those of the extended energy partition m odel.