Cancer: #1 The relationship of reproductive and body composition factors on the stage of cancer at diagnosis among non-hispanic white and hispanic postmenopausal breast cancer cases

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among both White and Hispanic women, however, White women have a substantially higher incidence of the disease. The main objective of this study was to determine if White and Hispanic cases differ on stage of cancer at diagnosis and body composition measurements, and to determine if stage of cancer at diagnosis was associated with obesity. METHODS: 40 Hispanic cases and 33 White cases were recruited from physiciansʹ clinics in Tucson, Arizona. The following anthropometric and body composition measurements were obtained: height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, Body Mass Index (BMI), Bone Mineral Density (BMD), Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR), and Percent Body Fat. Information on reproductive factors, exercise, and dietary intake were collected from structured questionnaires. RESULTS: White and Hispanic cases differed on hormone replacement therapy use, height, weight, BMI, and BMD. However, the groups did not differ statistically on percent body fat, any of the reproductive factors, WHR, stage of cancer, or receptor status. White women had significantly higher BMIs and BMDs, and they were significantly taller and heavier. BMI and percent body fat did not predict stage of cancer at diagnosis. The rates of overweight and obesity of both White and Hispanic breast cancer cases are significantly higher than normal populations of the same age. CONCLUSION: There are differences in body composition factors between the two groups, but there is not a difference in stage of cancer at diagnosis. Further studies need to be conducted to examine the role of ethnic differences in body composition and stage of cancer at diagnosis.