PLoS ONE (Jan 2012)

Family history and breast cancer hormone receptor status in a Spanish cohort.

  • Xuejuan Jiang,
  • Jose Esteban Castelao,
  • Elisabet Chavez-Uribe,
  • Beatriz Fernandez Rodriguez,
  • Catuxa Celeiro Muñoz,
  • Carmen M Redondo,
  • Maite Peña Fernandez,
  • Alejandro Novo Dominguez,
  • Carina Doris Pereira,
  • María Elena Martínez,
  • Tomás García-Caballero,
  • Máximo Fraga Rodriguez,
  • José Antúnez,
  • Angel Carracedo,
  • Jerónimo Forteza-Vila,
  • Manuela Gago-Dominguez

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029459
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
p. e29459

Abstract

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BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease that impacts racial/ethnic groups differently. Differences in genetic composition, lifestyles, reproductive factors, or environmental exposures may contribute to the differential presentation of breast cancer among Hispanic women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based study was conducted in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. A total of 645 women diagnosed with operable invasive breast cancer between 1992 and 2005 participated in the study. Data on demographics, breast cancer risk factors, and clinico-pathological characteristics of the tumors were collected. Hormone receptor negative tumors were compared with hormone receptor postive tumors on their clinico-pathological characteristics as well as risk factor profiles. RESULTS: Among the 645 breast cancer patients, 78% were estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) or progesterone receptor-positive (PR+), and 22% were ER-&PR-. Women with a family history of breast cancer were more likely to have ER-&PR- tumors than women without a family history (Odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-2.26). This association was limited to cancers diagnosed before age 50 (Odds ratio, 2.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-5.81). CONCLUSIONS: An increased proportion of ER-&PR- breast cancer was observed among younger Spanish women with a family history of the disease.