Risk factors for Wolfe's dysplasia of mammograms in postmenopausal Turkish women.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to ascertain whether menstrual, reproductive and hormonal risk factors for breast cancer are present in women with dysplastic mammographic patterns and to investigate possible trends towards breast cancer.

METHOD: This prospective case-control study was designed in a university hospital. Thirty-two turkish postmenopausal women were evaluated for the associations between obesity, parity, age, age at menarche, age at menopause, total lactation period and dysplasic mammographic patterns.

RESULTS

We found an increasing trend of dysplasia with increasing age at menarche. This association contradicts the well established one for breast cancer. The effects of parity and total lactation period on dysplasia were similar. Although nulliparity had some protective effects on dysplasia, relative risk (RR) increased to some extent with an increase in parity and lactation period. Later menopause and older age were associated with an increase risk of dysplasia, whereas an apparent protection was given by greater body mass index.

CONCLUSION

Onset of the menopause increases the risk of dysplasia and the estrogenic milieu may have some role in the initiation and progression of dysplasia.