Severe Caloric Restriction in Adolescence and Incidence of Breast Cancer
Abstract
Context Restricting caloric intake is one of the most effective ways to reduce spontaneous tumors in experimental animals. Yet whether similar associations hold in the human has not been appropriately studied. Objective To determine whether caloric restriction in early life reduces the risk of breast cancer Design Retrospective cohort study Setting Sweden; use of the Swedish Inpatient Registry and the Swedish Cancer Registry Subjects 7303 women who were treated for anorexia nervosa requiring hospitalization between 1965 and 1998 Main Outcome Measure Invasive breast cancer. Results Women who suffered from anorexia nervosa prior to age 40 had a 53% (95% confidence interval CI 3-81%) lower incidence of breast cancer than the Swedish general population. Women with anorexia nervosa who were parous had a 76% (95% CI 13-97%) reduced incidence of breast cancer. Conclusions We conclude that severe caloric restriction may confer protection from breast cancer among humans. Low caloric intake prior to first birth followed by a subsequent pregnancy appears to be associated with an even more pronounced reduction in the risk of breast cancer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA429931
Entities
People
- Anders Ekbom
- Karin B. Michels
Organizations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital