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Table 3 Risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women not using hormones in the Nurses' Health Study on the basis of several estrogen and androgen scoresa

From: The combined influence of multiple sex and growth hormones on risk of postmenopausal breast cancer: a nested case-control study

 

RR (95% CI)b, all casesc

RR (95% CI)b, ER+ casesc

Hormone scores

Estrogen scores

Androgen scores

Estrogen scores

Androgen scores

Number of hormones > geometric meand

  

   0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

   1

1.5 (1.0 to 2.5)

1.1 (0.6 to 2.0)

1.4 (0.8 to 2.6)

1.2 (0.6 to 2.5)

   2

1.5 (0.9 to 2.3)

1.4 (0.8 to 2.5)

1.6 (0.9 to 2.8)

1.8 (0.9 to 3.5)

   3 or 4

1.9 (1.3 to 3.0)

1.5 (0.9 to 2.3)

2.2 (1.3 to 3.8)

1.5 (0.8 to 2.6)

   Per 1-unit increase

1.21 (1.06 to 1.38)

1.12 (1.00 to 1.25)

1.29 (1.09 to 1.53)

1.09 (0.95 to 1.25)

   Per 1 SD increase§

1.25 (1.07 to 1.47)

1.18 (1.00 to 1.40)

1.36 (1.11 to 1.67)

1.14 (0.92 to 1.40)

   P trend

0.01

0.05

0.003

0.22

Score weighted by individual hormone associationse

 

   Quintile 1

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

   Quintile 2

1.2 (0.7 to 2.1)

1.1 (0.7 to 2.0)

1.2 (0.6 to 2.5)

1.2 (0.6 to 2.6)

   Quintile 3

1.8 (1.1 to 3.0)

1.2 (0.7 to 2.1)

1.7 (0.9 to 3.4)

1.8 (0.9 to 3.6)

   Quintile 4

1.3 (0.7 to 2.2)

1.2 (0.7 to 2.1)

1.3 (0.6 to 2.6)

1.2 (0.6 to 2.5)

   Quintile 5

2.1 (1.2 to 3.7)

1.7 (1.0 to 3.0)

2.4 (1.2 to 4.9)

2.0 (1.0 to 4.2)

   Per 1 SD increasee

1.28 (1.08 to 1.52)

1.19 (0.99 to 1.42)

1.38 (1.12 to 1.71)

1.16 (0.92 to 1.46)

   P trend

0.005

0.06

0.003

0.21

  1. ER = estrogen receptor. aHormones included in the score are estrone, estradiol, estrone sulfate in the estrogen score and testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in the androgen score. bRR and 95% CI were adjusted for age at blood draw and menopause, parity, history of benign breast disease, family history of breast cancer, fasting status and time of day of blood draw. cn = 265 total cases and n = 147 ER+ cases. dScore is the number of hormones for which the participant had higher than the age- and assay batch-adjusted geometric mean hormone level. Among controls, the estrogen score mean = 1.5 (SD = 1.2) and the androgen score mean = 2.1 (SD = 1.5). eScore is the sum of the log2-transformed hormone level multiplied by the β coefficient for that hormone with breast cancer risk. Among controls, the estrogen score mean = 4.3 (SD = 0.6) and the androgen score mean = 6.0 (SD = 0.7).