Age at First Child Birth as a Risk Factor of Breast Cancer among Ugandan Women at a Tertiary Hospital: A Case Control Study

Abstract

Background: Breast Cancer in Uganda is the third commonest cancer in women after cancer of the cervix and Kaposi’s sarcoma. The incidence of Breast Cancer in Uganda has nearly tripled from 1961 to 2006. It has been
considered a neglected disease but the reasons to why there is an increase in its incidence have not been fully explained. Studies show that age at first full term child birth has been associated with risk of developing breast
cancer in the Caucasian population.
Objective: To establish whether age at first full term child birth is  associated with development of breast cancer among Ugandan women.
Method: A case control study was conducted over a six months period from November 2011 to April 2012 with patients confirmed with breast cancer as cases and controls without breast cancer. The sampling were convenient and interview questionnaire were administered, and clinical examinations done .The main predictor were age at first full term child birth and the outcome were histologically confirmed breast cancer. Data were analysed using stata 10; using logistic regression models, p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Over all, 183 women were enrolled, (93 cases and 93 controls). The mean age at first full term child birth was 19.8 years. The histological subtype was ductal carcinoma. No association were found between age at first full term child birth and risk of breast cancer adjusted OR 0.3 (0.1-
2.4), p=0.239.
Conclusion: No associations were found between age at first term child birth and risk for breast cancer disease among this group of Ugandan women.

Key words: Breast Cancer, Age at First Birth, Uganda