Parity, age at first birth, age at menarche, and a family history of breast cancer have each been associated consistently with breast cancer risk. Whether this increase in risk is mediated, at least in part, through changes in endogenous hormone levels is unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the relationships between these factors and plasma hormone levels in 216 healthy postmenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study (United States). The hormones evaluated were estradiol, percent and total free estradiol, percent and total bioavailable estradiol, estrone, estrone sulfate, and prolactin. After controlling for age, body mass index (weight/height2), and alcohol use, we observed inverse associations between estrone sulfate and parity (r=−0.15, P=0.03) and between percent bioavailable estradiol and age at first birth (r=−0.17, P=0.02). Although women with a family history of breast cancer tended to have higher estrogen levels compared with women without such history, the differences were not statistically significant. Age at menarche was not related significantly to any of the hormones. These data provide some additional evidence that the inverse relationship observed between parity and breast cancer risk may be mediated, at least in part, through decreased estrogen levels. Our data do not support a substantial influence of either family history of breast cancer or age at menarche on postmenopausal estrogen or prolactin levels.
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Authors are with the Channing Laboratory (Drs Hankinson, Colditz, Hunter, Manson, Willett, Stampfer, Speizer) and Divislon of Preventive Medicine (Dr Manson), Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (USA); Departments of Nutrition (Drs Willett, Stampfer), and Epidemiology (Drs Hankinson, Colditz, Hunter, Willett, Stampfer), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; and the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA (Dr Longcope). Address correspondence to Dr Hankinson, Channing Laboratory, 180 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA. This research was supported by research grants CA40356 and CA49449 from the US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Dr Manson is a recipient of a Merk/Society for Epidemiologic Research grant award.
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Hankinson, S.E., Colditz, G.A., Hunter, D.J. et al. Reproductive factors and family history of breast cancer in relation to plasma estrogen and prolactin levels in postmenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study (United States). Cancer Causes Control 6, 217–224 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051793
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051793