Dietary habits and breast cancer risk: A hospital-based case-control study in Chinese women

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary habits and breast cancer (BC) risk in Chinese women. Patients and Methods This is a hospital-based, matched case-control study which included 654 BC cases and 654 healthy controls matched by age and residence. A qualified structured questionnaire was used to collect the detailed socio-demographic factors and dietary habits information. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with unconditional logistic regression analysis, and the patients were grouped according to their estrogen receptor (ER) status and analyzed separately. The propensity score analysis was performed according to different postmenopausal statuses. Results ER- BC participants who have preferences to cured foods have increased BC risk (adjustOR: 2.72, P=0.017). Participants diagnosed as ER+ BC with preferences to grilled foods have increased BC risk when compared to those who did not consume such foods (adjustOR:2.14, P=0.026). After propensity score analysis, fried (OR:3.19, P=0.001), grilled (OR:1.77, P=0.031) were considered as risk factors for BC in premenopausal women, fried (OR:1.61, P=0.006), grilled (OR:4.62, P=0.001), and smoked foods (OR:2.28, P=0.001) are considered as risk factors for BC in postmenopausal women. Conclusions These findings suggested a positive association of dietary habits of eating cured, grilled, fried foods with BC risk. Consumption of smoked food might contribute to increased BC risk in Chinese women.