TITLE:
Extrinsic Risk Factors for Women Breast Cancer in Gaza Strip, Palestine: Associations and Interactions in a Case-Control Study
AUTHORS:
Samir Yassin, Malak Younis, Samer Abuzerr, Maher Darwish, Ayman Abu Mustafa
KEYWORDS:
Breast Cancer, Case-Control, Risk Factors, Women, Gaza Strip
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Breast Cancer Research,
Vol.8 No.1,
December
25,
2018
ABSTRACT: Background: Worldwide, breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed neoplastic
disease in women around menopause that is the leading cause of DALYs, because it causes a
significant reduction of these women’s ability to function normally in everyday
life. Methods: The present hospital-based case-control study was carried
out between January and August 2018 using a structured questionnaire on 105
breast cancer women and 210 controls who are clinically free from breast
cancer. Data about the study cases were collected in the oncology day-care
clinics of the two main hospitals in Gaza strip “Al-Shifa and European Gaza
hospitals”. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression
analyses were employed to identify the significant factors associated with BC. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analyses with adjustment for all confounders
revealed that woman with BMI more than or equal 30 kg/m2 are under
risk of getting BC 2.9 times greater than those having BMI less than 29 kg/m2 (AOR = 2.895; 95%
CI: 1.305 - 6.423). Analysis of risk according to reaching menopause showed
that the estimated AOR was greater among those reached menopause (3.137, 95% CI
1.824 - 5.395) than among those that did not reach menopause. The risk of developing BC
in the case of a history of incidence of BC in the family was more than two
times higher (AOR = 2.632, 95% CI 1.528 - 4.535) than in case of the history of
a free family of BC. Conclusion: In this context, the above-mentioned
risk factors must be taken into consideration in BC management processes in the
Gaza strip.