Risk Factors With Breast Cancer Among Women in Delhi

Background: The incidence of breast cancer is on the rise in India, breast cancer is the second most common malignancy in Indian women. Aim: The aim of this study was to find out the association of various risk factors with breast cancer among women in Delhi. Settings and Design: This was a case-control study in Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi. Methods and Material: 332 women were studied. Subjects were women with breast cancer (N = 115) and age matched Control subjects (N-217) without breast cancer, attending Lok Nayak Hospital during 2006. Subjects were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire. The risk factors studied were: age, parity, socioeconomic status, marital status, breast feeding, menarche, menopause, family history. Statistical Analysis: Data was expressed in proportion. Results and Conclusions: Age of the patient ranged from 25 to 80 years. In this study, 69 (60%) cases and 127 (58.5%) controls were illiterate, the mean duration sum of total breast feeding for all children was 6.58 years in cases and 7.4 years in controls (OR = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.17 - 3.13) (P < 0.006). In the present study 52.9% of the cases and 47.9% of controls had attained menopause before the age of 45 years, and a higher number of controls were living with spouses than cases (P < 0.0001). A larger number of controls (150, 69.1%) were living in urban areas than cases (65, 56.5%) (P< 0.05). There was a significant difference between breast cancer cases and controls in relation to place of residence, occupation, marital status, body mass index and breast feeding