Somatotype and risk of breast cancer: A case-control study in Uruguay

Abstract

According to the evidence, there is a need for more thorough assessment and quantification of body size and shape and the risk of breast cancer. Using the somatotype methodology, we carried out an original research in order to explore possible associations between body shape and the risk of breast cancer in Uruguayan women. With this objective, 254 recent breast cancer cases and 1,000 frequency-matched healthy controls were interviewed on menstrual and reproductive story, and a series of skinfolds, circumferences and diameters were measured specifically to calculate somatotype. A positive association with breast cancer was found for high endomorphy (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.82, p < 0.001), mainly among premenopausal women (OR = 4.98, p <0.001) and normoweight women (OR = 5.12, p = 0.002), whereas almost no differences were observed for mesomorphic and ectomorphic women. Analysis showed a high meso-endomorphic pattern in the study population. Further studies are needed to confirm the present results obtained in a country with high incidence of the disease.