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Association of serum phospholipid fatty acids with breast cancer risk among postmenopausal cigarette smokers

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Abstract

Objective

To examine the association between breast cancer risk and the fatty acid composition of phospholipids in prediagnostic serum samples.

Methods

We analyzed the fatty acid composition in 130 incident postmenopausal breast cancer cases and 257 matched controls nested within the β-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial Cohort. The fatty acid composition was measured by gas chromatography. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the risk of breast cancer were estimated using logistic regression. Stratified analysis was conducted by smoking status.

Results

There were no associations with breast cancer risk for total saturated, monounsaturated, n-3, n-6, or trans fatty acids among all women. For individual fatty acids, we observed an inverse association with the trans linoleic acid, 18:2n6tt (p trend = 0.0002). Among current smokers, long-chain saturated fatty acids (22:0 and 24:0) and total 16:1 trans fatty acids were positively associated with the risk of breast cancer, whereas these fatty acids showed no association among former smokers.

Conclusion

Overall, we observed no significant association between serum phospholipid fatty acids and breast cancer risk, except for the trans linoleic acid isomer 18:2n6tt, which was unexpected. Our finding of a positive association of long-chain saturated fatty acids (22:0 and 24:0) and total 16:1 trans fatty acids with the risk of breast cancer only in current smokers may suggest an effect modification by smoking status. Our findings need to be replicated in future epidemiologic studies.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the CARET participants and research staff for their effort and time. All the authors contributed to the interpretation of findings and commented on the manuscript. YT and UP guided the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript, IBK oversaw the laboratory measurement, IBK and MLN provided expertise on fatty acid, YT, SS, and MB conducted data analysis, SS and MB managed the data set, MT and GEG designed the study, and GEG obtained the funding for this study. This study was funded by National Cancer Institute (NCI CA063673).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North M4-B402, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA

    Yumie Takata, Irena B. King, Marian L. Neuhouser, Matt Barnett, Mark Thornquist, Ulrike Peters & Gary E. Goodman

  2. Harrison Medical Center, 2520 Cherry Avenue, Bremerton, WA, 98310, USA

    Steve Schaffer

  3. Swedish Medical Center Tumor Institute, 747 Broadway, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA

    Gary E. Goodman

Authors
  1. Yumie Takata
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  2. Irena B. King
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  3. Marian L. Neuhouser
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  4. Steve Schaffer
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  5. Matt Barnett
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  6. Mark Thornquist
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  7. Ulrike Peters
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  8. Gary E. Goodman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ulrike Peters.

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Takata, Y., King, I.B., Neuhouser, M.L. et al. Association of serum phospholipid fatty acids with breast cancer risk among postmenopausal cigarette smokers. Cancer Causes Control 20, 497–504 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9314-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9314-2

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