Lifestyle's Effects on Absolute Risk for Breast Cancer

New model predicts the effects of modifying alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body-mass index.

Certain lifestyle changes can lower risk for breast cancer. For counseling women about such preventive strategies, discussions of absolute rather than relative risk reduction can be particularly meaningful. Accordingly, National Cancer Institute researchers developed a model based on data from an Italian case-control study (J Natl Cancer Inst 1998; 90:389) to predict changes in absolute risk for breast cancer in relation to five unmodifiable risk factors (e.g., family history) and three modifiable lifestyle factors (alcohol consumption, exercise, and body-mass index [BMI]). The authors validated their model through comparisons with data from a different (prospective) Italian study.

For individual women, magnitude of absolute reduction in bre…

Reviewing Author

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health

Lifestyle's Effects on Absolute Risk for Breast Cancer

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Reviewing Author