Birth size is a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer later in life

Birth size, and in particular birth length, correlates with subsequent risk of breast cancer in adulthood, according to a new study published in PLoS Medicine by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Associations between birth size, perhaps as a marker of the pre-natal environment, and subsequent breast cancer risk have been identified before, but the findings from epidemiological studies have been inconsistent.

In the new study, led by Isabel dos Santos Silva (Professor of Epidemiology), the researchers re-analysed data from published and unpublished studies to obtain more precise estimates of the extent to which birth size affects the risk of breast cancer later in life and to investigate whether they could be explained by associations with other risk factors.

They examined 32 studies, comprising 22,058 cases of breast cancer among a total of more than 600,000 women, most of whom lived in developed countries. They found that birth weight was positively associated with breast cancer risk in studies where information on birth size was based on birth records (although not in those based on adult self-reports, which tend to be less accurate). Analyses of women with data from birth records showed that a 0.5 kg increment in birth weight was associated with an estimated 7% increase in the risk of breast cancer.

Birth length and head circumference were also positively associated with breast cancer risk when studies with data from birth records were analyzed. Of the three birth size measures examined, birth length appeared to be the strongest independent predictor of risk.

The estimated magnitude of the birth size association with breast cancer risk was not affected when the effects of established breast cancer risk factors were accounted for.

Isabel dos Santos Silva commented: 'Our study indicates that birth size is a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer in adulthood, at least in developed countries. The birth size - breast cancer association appeared to be largely independent of known risk factors. Little is known on how the pre-natal environment may affect breast cancer risk later in life. Further research is needed to unravel the biological mechanisms underlying the birth size - breast cancer association'.

In an expert commentary, Pagona Lagiou and Dimitrios Trichopoulos of Harvard University School of Public Health, who were not involved in the study, say that the new study provides "the strongest evidence yet that birth size is a critical determinant of breast cancer risk in adult life."

Citation: dos Santos Silva I, De Stavola B, McCormack V, Collaborative Group on Pre-Natal Risk Factors and Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer (2008) Birth size and breast cancer risk: Re-analysis of individual participant data from 32 studies. PLoS Med 5(9): e193. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050193

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE PUBLISHED PAPER: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050193

PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-05-09-silva.pdf

SUMMARY IN ITALIAN: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-05-09-silva-italian.doc

SUMMARY IN PORTUGUESE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-05-09-silva-portuguese.rtf

Please note that the translations are the work of the authors of the study and PLoS is not responsible for any inaccuracies.

CONTACT:
Isabel dos Santos Silva
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
117, Keppel Street
London,
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7927 2113
+44 (0)20 7436 4230 (fax)
isabel.silva@lshtm.ac.uk

Related PLoS Medicine Perspective:

Citation: Lagiou P, Trichopoulos D (2008) Birth size and the pathogenesis of breast cancer. PLoS Med 5(9): e194. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050194

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE PUBLISHED PAPER: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050194

PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-05-08-trichopoulos.pdf

CONTACT:
Dimitrios Trichopoulos
Harvard University School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
Kresge Building 901
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston,
+1 617-432-4560
+ 1 617-566-7805 (fax)
dtrichop@hsph.harvard.edu

Making sense of non-financial competing interests

In this month's Editorial, the PLoS Medicine Editors argue that researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors must pay more attention to non-financial conflicts of interest. Despite the imprecise and sometimes sensitive nature of non-financial competing interests, it will benefit academic communities and journals if a better understanding of their extent and impact is established, if disclosure on the part of authors, reviewers, and editors is required, and if journals and publishers develop clear publication policies on non-financial ("private") competing interests.

Citation: The PLoS Medicine Editors (2008) Making sense of nonfinancial competing interests. PLoS Med 5(9): e199. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050199

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE PUBLISHED PAPER: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050199

PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-05-09-editorial.pdf

CONTACT:
The PLoS Medicine Editors
+44 1223 463330 (UK office)
+1 415 624 1200 (US office)
medicine_editors@plos.org

Animal models of inflammatory bowel disease at the dawn of the new genetics era

Ludvig Sollid and Finn-Eirik Johansen discuss the role of animal models in understanding the interplay between genetic and environmental factors leading to inflammatory bowel disease.

Citation: Sollid LM, Johansen F-E (2008) Animal models of inflammatory bowel disease at the dawn of the new genetics era. PLoS Med 5(9): e198. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050198

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE PUBLISHED PAPER: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050198

PRESS ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-05-09-sollid.pdf

CONTACT:
Ludvig Sollid
Rikshospitalet University of Oslo
Institute of Immunology (IMMI)
N-0027
Oslo, N-0027
Norway
+47 23073811 or +47 23073500
+47 23073510 (fax)
l.m.sollid@medisin.uio.no

Source: Public Library of Science