Migration and Breast Cancer Risk in Hispanics
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: There are striking differences in breast cancer incidence across Latin America. Preliminary results from an NCI-funded study in Hispanic women living in the San Francisco Bay area show higher risk of breast cancer in third- and second-generation migrants than in foreign-born migrants, and higher risk in women who migrated at a young age than those who migrated after age 40. These findings suggest the importance of lifestyle and environmental factors in the etiology of this common cancer. We propose to extend this study i.n Hispanics, a population with diverse migration patterns and a broad range of exposures, which offers the unique opportunity to gain new insight into the etiology of breast cancer, focusing on potentially modifiable lifestyle factors and exposures that may operate early in life.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 We will test the hypotheses that: (1) migration is associated with changes in lifestyle factors that lead to an increase in breast cancer risk over subsequent generations; (2) exposures during adolescence influence breast cancer risk; and (3) heterocyclic amines and late infection with Epstein Barr virus (EBV) increase breast cancer risk.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 We propose a population-based case-control study to thoroughly examine the relationship between migration and acculturation, migration-related changes in lifestyle (i.e., menstrual and reproductive events, physical activity, diet, body size, weight change, hormone use, smoking and alcohol consumption), and breast cancer risk in pre- and post-menopausal Hispanic women. We will also assess the importance of these lifestyle factors in adolescence (i.e., before age 20), and explore new hypotheses (i.e., heterocylic amines, EBV infection). We will collect mouthwash samples to facilitate future molecular research and investigations of gene-environment interactions in Hispanic women.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 We will identify breast cancer patients (cases) aged 35-79 years and newly diagnosed with breast cancer between 1999 and 2002 through the Bay area cancer registry. For comparison, we will identify population controls through random-digit dialing. Eligible cases and controls will be invited to participate in an in-person interview on a broad range of lifestyle factors, anthropometric measurements, and collection of a mouthwash sample. We anticipate completing interviews with 525 cases and 525 controls. These data will be pooled with interview data for Hispanic women (655 cases and 895 controls) available from two NCI-funded studies that used the same questionnaire and research methods.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The proposed study will build upon an existing research infrastructure and make of use of existing data resources. This cost-efficient approach will provide important new insights into the etiologic role of lifestyle factors in a little studied minority population, contribute to a better understanding of the differences in breast cancer incidence between Hispanic migrants groups, and help identify exposure periods of etiologic importance. The focus on modifiable lifestyle factors has the potential of identifying new avenues towards primary prevention, possibly at a young age. The findings will be of public health significance not only for Hispanic women, but for all racial/ethnic groups.