Use of glucocorticoids and risk of breast cancer: a Danish population-based case-control study

Sørensen, Gitte Vrelits; Cronin-Fenton, Deirdre P; Sørensen, Henrik Toft; Ulrichsen, Sinna Pilgaard; Pedersen, Lars; Lash, Timothy L

doi:10.1186/bcr3106

Breast Cancer Research

Table 1 Frequency distribution of cases and matched population controls in North Jutland County between 1994-2008, Aarhus County between 2001-2008, and Viborg- and Ringkjøbing Counties between 2003-2008

From: Use of glucocorticoids and risk of breast cancer: a Danish population-based case-control study

Characteristics	Cases (N= 9,488)		Controls^a (N= 94,876)
	N	%	N	%
Age at index date ^a
< 45	899	9.5	9,072	9.6
45 to 55	1,932	20	19,108	20
> 55	6,657	70	66,696	70
County at index date ^{a, b}
North Jutland	4,424	47	44,236	47
Aarhus	3,168	33	31,680	33
Viborg	931	10	9,310	10
Ringkjøbing	965	10	9,650	10
Calendar year at index date ^a
1994-1998	1,253	13	12,530	13
1999-2003	2,910	31	29,100	31
2004-2008	5,325	56	53,246	56
Use of any glucocorticoids
Never	6,692	71	68,064	72
≤ 2 prescriptions ever	1,452	15	13,891	15
> 2 prescriptions ever	1,344	14	12,921	14
Use of other immunosuppressive drugs
Never	9,395	99	93,880	99
Ever	93	1.0	996	1.0
Use of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy
Never	7,252	76	76,919	81
Ever	2,236	24	17,957	19
Hospital diagnosed diabetes or ever use of anti-diabetic medicine
Never	8,961	94	90,180	95
Yes & never metformin	312	3.3	2,655	2.8
Yes & ever metformin	215	2.3	2,041	2.2
Hospital diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No	9,093	96	91,161	96
Yes	395	4.2	3,715	3.9
Hospital diagnosed asthma
No	9,266	98	92,583	98
Yes	222	2.3	2,293	2.4
Hospital diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease
No	9,407	99	94,117	99
Yes	81	0.9	759	0.8
Hospital diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis
No	9,392	99	93,733	99
Yes	96	1.0	1,143	1.2
Other autoimmune diseases ^c
No	9,086	96	91,201	96
Yes	402	4.2	3,675	3.9
Hospital diagnosed obesity
No	9,240	97	92,512	98
Yes	248	2.6	2,364	2.5
Age at first birth in women born later than 1949 ( n = 31,130) ^d
Nulliparous	344	12	3,373	12
< 25	1,284	45	13,845	49
25-30	885	31	8,345	30
> 30	317	11	2,737	10
Parity in women born later than 1949 ( n = 31,130) ^d
Nulliparous	344	12	3,373	12
1 child	445	16	4,170	15
2 children	1,341	47	13,005	46
≥ 3 children	700	25	7,752	27
Combined parity & age (year) at first birth in women born later than 1949 ( n = 31,130) ^d
Nulliparous	344	12	3,373	12
1 child & < 25 y	154	5.4	1,444	5.1
2 children & < 25 y	658	23	6,956	25
≥ 3 children & < 25 y	472	17	5,445	19
1 child & ≥ 25 y	291	10	2,726	9.6
2 children & ≥ 25 y	683	24	6,049	21
≥ 3 children & ≥ 25 y	228	8.1	2,307	8.2

^aControls were matched to cases on county/region of residence and birth year. ^bThe counties were merged into the two regions in 2007. Thus, from 2007 to 2008 the women were instead matched on former county. The higher proportion of people in North Jutland County was a result of longer prescription history. ^cSee Additional file 1 for the list of hospital-diagnosed other autoimmune diseases. ^dTo assure complete data on every birth of the woman we made a subgroup of women born later than 1949 (n = 31,130).

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ISSN: 1465-542X

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