The association of alcohol consumption with mammographic density in a multiethnic urban population

Research article

Zoe Quandt¹², Julie D Flom¹, Parisa Tehranifar¹³, Diane Reynolds⁴, Mary Beth Terry¹³ and Jasmine A McDonald^1*

• *
  Corresponding author: Jasmine A McDonald [email protected]

Author Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Medical Center, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA

² Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA, USA

³ Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

⁴ School of Nursing, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn, NY, USA

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BMC Cancer 2015, 15:124 
doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1094-3

Published: 14 March 2015

Abstract (provisional)

Background Alcohol consumption is associated with higher breast cancer risk. While
studies suggest a modest association between alcohol intake and mammographic density,
few studies have examined the association in racial/ethnic minority populations. Methods
We assessed dense breast area and total breast area from digitized film mammograms
in an urban cohort of African American (42%), African Caribbean (22%), white (22%),
and Hispanic Caribbean (9%) women (n?=?189, ages 40-61). We examined the association
between alcohol intake and mammographic density (percent density and dense area).
We used linear regression to examine mean differences in mammographic density across
alcohol intake categories. We considered confounding by age, body mass index (BMI),
hormone contraceptive use, family history of breast cancer, menopausal status, smoking
status, nativity, race/ethnicity, age at first birth, and parity. Results Fifty percent
currently consumed alcohol. Women who consumed gt;7 servings/week of alcohol, but
not those consuming ?7 servings/week, had higher percent density compared to nondrinkers
after full adjustments (servings/week gt;7 ??=?8.2, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)
1.8, 14.6; ?7 ??=?-0.5, 95% CI -3.7, 2.8). There was a positive association between
high alcohol intake and dense area after full adjustments (servings/week gt;7 ??=?5.8,
95% CI -2.7, 14.2; ?7 ??=?-0.1, 95% CI -4.4, 4.2). We did not observe race/ethnicity
modification of the association between alcohol intake and percent density. In women
with a BMI of lt;25 kg/m2, drinkers consuming gt;7 servings/week of alcohol had
a = 17% increase in percent density compared to nondrinkers (95% CI 5.4, 29.0) and
there was no association in women with a BMI???25 kg/m2 (BMI???25-30 kg/m2?gt;?7
? = 5.1, 95% CI -8.5, 18.7 and BMI?gt;?30 kg/m2?gt;?7 ? = 0.5, 95% CI -6.5, 7.5)
after adjusting for age and BMI (continuous). Conclusion In a racially/ethnically
diverse cohort, women who consumed gt;7 servings/week of alcohol, especially those
with a BMI?lt;?25 kg/m2, had higher percent density.