Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2025

Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats
Published on: October 16, 2010
Modifiable (Sleeping Pattern and Stress) and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors Associated with Breast Cancer: A Matched
Gayatri Vishwakarma1, Anurag Mehta2, Mumtaz Saifi3
1Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, India.
Background:
An utmost increase of breast cancer burden during the last several decades was reported in Asian countries. Findings from literature confirm that risk factors of breast cancers can be modifiable and non-modifiable in nature.
Objective:
The present study is designed to identify specific modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with breast cancer.
Methods:
A matched case-control study was conducted considering 187 cases as women diagnosed with breast cancer and 187 hospital-controls as women without having breast cancer visiting the hospital. Other than standard risk factors, stress is measured using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and stress is measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Several modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were assessed using conditional logistic regression to find out significant association with breast cancer.
Results:
Regular multi-vitamin uptake (OR = 3.38; 95%CI = 1.69 - 6.77; p-value = 0.001), poor sleep (OR = 11.29; 95%CI = 4.36 - 29.25; p-value < 0.001), irregular sleep (OR = 34.11; 95%CI = 10.03 - 115.92; p-value < 0.001) and severe stress (OR = 6.74; 95%CI = 3.06 - 14.81; p-value < 0.001) were found to be the highest odds ratio among all modifiable risk factor of breast cancer. Also, age at first childbirth less than 30 years (OR = 0.44; 95%CI = 0.25 - 0.78; p-value = 0.005) was found protective against breast cancer.
Conclusion:
In our study, stress, sleeping pattern, and regular multi-vitamin uptake were found to be significant modifiable risk factors of breast cancer. None of the non-modifiable risk factors were found to be significantly associated with the risk of breast cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
Cancer Survival Analysis
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

