Journal
BREAST
Volume 39, Issue -, Pages 63-69Publisher
CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2018.03.013
Keywords
Social relationship characteristics; Inflammation; Incidence; Breast cancer; Etiology; Mediation
Categories
Funding
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHSN268201100046C, HHSN268201100001C, HHSN268201100002C, HHSN268201100003C, HHSN268201100004C, HHSN271201100004C]
- National Cancer Institute [5T32CA009001, K07 CA187403]
- National Institute of Aging [K01AG036745-01]
- UNC-Chapel Hill University Cancer Research Fund
- Carolina Population Center at UNC-Chapel Hill
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objectives: Previous research has reported associations between social relationships and carcinogenesis. Inflammation is a potential mediator of these associations. To clarify these links for one tumor site, we examined associations between social relationships, circulating inflammation markers, and breast cancer incidence. Materials and Methods: Among 132,262 participants from the prospective Women's Health Initiative, we used linear and logistic regression to evaluate associations between social relationship characteristics (social support, social strain, social network size) and inflammation markers of C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC). Cox regression was used to evaluate associations between inflammation markers and breast cancer incidence, as well as associations between social relationship characteristics and breast cancer incidence with and without adjustment for inflammation markers. Results: Larger social networks were associated with lower continuous CRP (beta = -0.22, 95% CI -0.36, -0.08) and WBC (beta = -0.23, 95% CI -0.31, -0.16). Greater social strain was associated with higher continuous CRP (beta = 0.24, 95% CI 0.14, 0.33) and WBC (beta = 0.09, 95% CI 0.04, 0.14). When WBC was dichotomized at 10,000 cells/uL, high WBC was associated with greater hazards of in situ breast cancer (HR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.17, 2.33) but not invasive breast cancer. Social relationship characteristics were not associated with incidence of invasive or in situ breast cancer. Conclusion: Larger social networks were associated with lower inflammation and greater social strain was associated with higher inflammation. Higher inflammation might be associated with development of in situ breast cancer, but this appeared to be due to factors other than social relationships. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available