© 2004 by Oxford University Press
© 2004 Oxford University Press
ARTICLE |
Breast Cancer Risk After Caloric Restriction During the 1944–1945 Dutch Famine
Affiliation of authors: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Correspondence to: Sjoerd G. Elias, PhD, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Rm. Str. 6.119, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85060, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands (e-mail: s.elias{at}jc.azu.nl)
Background: Data from animal models suggest that caloric restriction may reduce the risk of breast cancer, although not all dietary regimens produce similar effects. We examined whether caloric restriction imposed as a consequence of the 1944–1945 Dutch famine reduced the risk of breast cancer in women participating in a Dutch breast cancer screening program. Methods: Between 1983 and 1986, approximately 15 000 women, aged 2 to 33 years during the 1944–1945 Dutch famine, responded to a questionnaire about their famine experience. A famine exposure score, graded as absent, moderate, or severe exposure, was derived from answers regarding hunger, cold, and weight loss. During follow-up until January 2000, 585 women with incident breast cancer were identified by the regional cancer registry. The relationship between famine exposure and breast cancer risk was assessed by weighted Cox regression models, in which person-years lived for the entire cohort was extrapolated from data from a random sample of 15% of the cohort. Results: Women who were severely exposed to the famine had a statistically significantly higher risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09 to 2.01) than women who were not exposed. Women who were moderately exposed to the famine had a 13% increased risk of breast cancer (HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.92 to 1.38; Ptrend = 0.016). The association between famine exposure and breast cancer risk was stronger for women who were exposed between the ages of 2 and 9 years (severely exposed versus unexposed: HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 0.92 to 4.41) than for women who were exposed at older ages. Conclusions: The risk of breast cancer was increased in women who were severely exposed to a short but severe famine decades earlier. This result is compatible with data from the few animal studies investigating effects of short-term, transient caloric restriction.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  L. Lumey, A. D Stein, H. S Kahn, K. M van der Pal-de Bruin, G. Blauw, P. A Zybert, and E. S Susser Cohort Profile: The Dutch Hunger Winter Families Study Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2007; 36(6): 1196 - 1204. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Hirte, E. Nolte, C. Bain, and M. McKee Breast cancer mortality in Russia and Ukraine 1963 2002: an age-period-cohort analysis Int. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2007; 36(4): 900 - 906. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. R. Holford, K. A. Cronin, A. B. Mariotto, and E. J. Feuer Chapter 4: Changing Patterns in Breast Cancer Incidence Trends J Natl Cancer Inst Monographs, October 1, 2006; 2006(36): 19 - 25. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. E. Kelemen Food frequency questionnaires: not irrelevant yet. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2006; 15(5): 1054 - 1054. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S.-C. Chang, R. G. Ziegler, B. Dunn, R. Stolzenberg-Solomon, J. V. Lacey Jr., W.-Y. Huang, A. Schatzkin, D. Reding, R. N. Hoover, P. Hartge, et al. Association of energy intake and energy balance with postmenopausal breast cancer in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., February 1, 2006; 15(2): 334 - 341. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Uauy and N. Solomons Diet, Nutrition, and the Life-Course Approach to Cancer Prevention J. Nutr., December 1, 2005; 135(12): 2934S - 2945S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. G. Elias, P. H.M. Peeters, D. E. Grobbee, and P. A.H. van Noord The 1944-1945 Dutch Famine and Subsequent Overall Cancer Incidence Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., August 1, 2005; 14(8): 1981 - 1985. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Malin, C. E. Matthews, X.-O. Shu, H. Cai, Q. Dai, F. Jin, Y.-T. Gao, and W. Zheng Energy Balance and Breast Cancer Risk Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., June 1, 2005; 14(6): 1496 - 1501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. C. Onland-Moret, C. H. van Gils, M. Roest, D. E. Grobbee, and P. H.M. Peeters Cyp17, Urinary Sex Steroid Levels and Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2005; 14(4): 815 - 820. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. A. H. van Noord Breast Cancer and the Brain: a Neurodevelopmental Hypothesis to Explain the Opposing Effects of Caloric Deprivation during the Dutch Famine of 1944-1945 on Breast Cancer and Its Risk Factors J. Nutr., December 1, 2004; 134(12): 3399S - 3406S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|