This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables offer an informative look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, they should be viewed with some caution. In order to read and interpret research tables successfully, it is important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table.
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Introduction: Age at menopause is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Women who go through menopause later have an increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who go through menopause earlier.
Learn more about age at menopause and breast cancer risk.
Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of different types of studies.
See how this risk factor compares with other risk factors for breast cancer.
Study selection criteria: Prospective cohort studies with at least 100 breast cancer cases and pooled analyses.
Table note: Relative risk above 1 indicates increased risk. Relative risk below 1 indicates decreased risk.
Study
|
Study Population
(number of
participants)
|
Follow-up
(years)
|
Age Categories Compared
|
Relative Risk of Breast Cancer in Women with Later Menopause Compared to Women with Earlier Menopause
RR (95% CI)
|
Prospective cohort studies
|
PLCO Cancer Screening Trial Cohort [1]
|
70,575
(2,085 cases)
|
5
|
55 or older vs.
younger than 45
|
1.29
(1.03-1.62)
|
Nurses' Health Study [2]
|
58,520
(1,761 cases)
|
14
|
55 vs. 45
|
1.44
(1.26-1.64)
|
E3N cohort study-France [3]
|
91,260
(1,718 cases)
|
6.4*
|
50-54 vs.
younger than 40
|
1.67
(1.01-2.76)
|
| |
|
|
55 or older vs.
younger than 40
|
2.25
(1.31-3.87)
|
Kvale et al. [4]
|
63,090
(1,565 cases)
|
19
|
55 vs. 45
|
1.34Sig
|
Dutch DOM cohort [5]
|
10,591
(485 cases)
|
19
|
55 or older vs.
44 or younger
|
1.52Sig
|
Iowa Women's Health Study [6]
|
36,658
(428 cases)
|
16
|
50 or older vs.
younger than 49
|
1.26
(1.06-1.49)†
|
Mertens et al. [7]
|
7,994
(342 cases)
|
13.1
|
50 or older vs.
44 or younger
|
1.25
(0.91-1.71)
|
Japan Public Health-based Prospective Study [8]
|
32,440
(228 cases)
|
10.2
|
54 or older vs.
younger than 48
|
1.98
(1.12-3.52)
|
De Stavola et al. [9]
|
6,706
(168 cases)
|
10-21
|
Older than 51 vs.
younger than 49
|
3.2
(1.5-6.9)
|
Pooled analyses
|
CGHFBC [10]
|
161,116
(52,705 cases)
|
|
55 vs. 45
|
1.2Sig
|
Sig = Statistically significant
* Follow-up time estimated from person-years.
† Results for women aged 75-84 at diagnosis.
References
1. Lacey JV Jr, Kreimer AR, Buys SS, et al. for the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial Project Team. Breast cancer epidemiology according to recognized breast cancer risk factors in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial Cohort. BMC Cancer. 17;9:84, 2009.
2. Colditz GA and Rosner B. Cumulative risk of breast cancer to age 70 years according to risk factor status: data from the Nurses' Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 152(10):950-64, 2000.
3. Clavel-Chapelon F, E3N Group. Cumulative number of menstrual cycles and breast cancer risk: results from the E3N cohort study of French women. Cancer Causes Control. 13(9):831-8, 2002.
4. Kvale G, Heuch I. Menstrual factors and breast cancer risk. Cancer. 62(8):1625-1631, 1988.
5. Monninkhof EM, van der Schouw YT, Peeters PHM. Early age at menopause and breast cancer: are leaner women more protected? A prospective analysis of the Dutch DOM cohort. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 55:285-291, 1999.
6. Sweeney C, Blair CK, Anderson KE, et al. Risk factors for breast cancer in elderly women. Am J Epidemiol. 160(9):868-75, 2004.
7. Mertens AJ, Sweeney C, Shahar E, et al. Physical activity and breast cancer incidence in middle-aged women: a prospective cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 97(2):209-14, 2006.
8. Iwasaki M, Otani T, Inoue M, Sasazuki S, Tsugane S for the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study Group. Role and impact of menstrual and reproductive factors on breast cancer risk in Japan. Eur J Cancer Prev. 16(2):116-23, 2007.
9. De Stavola BL, Wang DY, Allen DS, et al. The association of height, weight, menstrual and reproductive events with breast cancer: results from two prospective studies on the island of Guernsey (United Kingdom). Cancer Causes Control. 4(4):331-340, 1993.
10. Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy: collaborative reanalysis of data from 51 epidemiological studies of 52,705 women with breast cancer and 108,411 women without breast cancer. Lancet. 11;350(9084):1047-59, 1997.
Updated 08/13/12
