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

Breast Cancer Research

Table 3 Duration and intensity of systemic glucocorticoid (GC) cumulative doses in milligram (mg) prednisolone equivalent doses^a and odds ratio of breast cancer

Characteristics	Cases (N= 9,488)		Controls^b (N= 94,876)		Odds Ratio^c	95% Confidence Interval
	N	%	N	%
Never any GC use	6,692	71	68,064	72	reference	reference
Only inhaled/local use	451	4.8	4,401	4.6	1.0	0.93, 1.1
Short-term (< 1 year of use) ^d
< 200 mg	1,237	13	11,830	12	1.0	0.97, 1.1
200 to 399 mg	94	0.99	990	1.0	0.93	0.75, 1.2
400 to 999 mg	21	0.22	242	0.26	0.88	0.57, 1.4
≥ 1000 mg	15	0.16	93	0.10	1.6	0.90, 2.8
Medium-term (1 to 5 years of use) ^d
< 200 mg	289	3.1	2,805	3.0	1.0	0.89, 1.2
200 to 399 mg	138	1.5	1,166	1.2	1.2	0.97, 1.4
400 to 999 mg	67	0.71	545	0.57	1.2	0.93, 1.6
≥ 1000 mg	20	0.21	273	0.29	0.73	0.46, 1.2
Long-term (> 5 years of use) ^d
< 200 mg	170	1.8	1,683	1.8	1.0	0.85, 1.2
200 to 399 mg	123	1.3	1,141	1.2	1.1	0.87 1.3
400 to 999 mg	96	1.0	1,053	1.1	0.89	0.72, 1.1
≥ 1000 mg	75	0.79	590	0.62	1.2	0.96, 1.6

^aFor calculations see Additional file 2. ^bControls were matched to cases on county of residence and birth year. ^cAnalysis adjusted for any use of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy or 'other immunosuppressive drugs' before index date and any hospital diagnosis of obesity, diabetes (+/- metformin use), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis or 'other autoimmune disease' before the index date. ^dDuration was calculated as time between the first and the last systemic glucocorticoid prescription (plus 30 days from the last prescription), and then divided into short-, medium- and long-term use.

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