Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors

Abstract Background The incidence of early-onset breast cancer (< 50 years) has been increasing over the past decades with the role of modifiable, lifestyle-related risk factors remaining mostly unidentified. Methods To investigate the role of key lifestyle factors in the incidence trends of earl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jasmiina Rantala, Karri Seppä, Johan Eriksson, Sirpa Heinävaara, Tommi Härkänen, Pekka Jousilahti, Paul Knekt, Satu Männistö, Ossi Rahkonen, Nea Malila, Eetu Mäkinen, Heidi Ryynänen, Maarit Laaksonen, Sanna Heikkinen, Janne Pitkäniemi, METCA Study Group
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Cancer
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-13730-y
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849420508269903872
author Jasmiina Rantala
Karri Seppä
Johan Eriksson
Sirpa Heinävaara
Tommi Härkänen
Pekka Jousilahti
Paul Knekt
Satu Männistö
Ossi Rahkonen
Nea Malila
Eetu Mäkinen
Heidi Ryynänen
Maarit Laaksonen
Sanna Heikkinen
Janne Pitkäniemi
METCA Study Group
author_facet Jasmiina Rantala
Karri Seppä
Johan Eriksson
Sirpa Heinävaara
Tommi Härkänen
Pekka Jousilahti
Paul Knekt
Satu Männistö
Ossi Rahkonen
Nea Malila
Eetu Mäkinen
Heidi Ryynänen
Maarit Laaksonen
Sanna Heikkinen
Janne Pitkäniemi
METCA Study Group
author_sort Jasmiina Rantala
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The incidence of early-onset breast cancer (< 50 years) has been increasing over the past decades with the role of modifiable, lifestyle-related risk factors remaining mostly unidentified. Methods To investigate the role of key lifestyle factors in the incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer (EOBC), we pooled data from six health studies in Finland in 1972–2015 and combined them with breast cancer data from the Finnish Cancer Registry. The cohort consisted of 56,253 women with 397 EOBCs. The effects of risk factors (hazard ratios) on EOBC and average annual percent change (AAPC) of incidence were estimated using Poisson regression models. Results The highest annual increase in age-standardized incidence was observed among women aged 40–49 who were overweight (AAPC 4.0%, 95% CI 0.5–7.7%), currently smoking (AAPC 3.3%, 95% CI 0.1–6.6%) or moderately physically active (AAPC 2.9%, 95% CI 0.3–5.6%). Conclusions The increase in early-onset breast cancer incidence was highest among women aged 40–49 who were overweight, currently smoking, or moderately physically active, while no change by risk factors was found in women under 40 years of age. Our findings suggest a different type of cancer process in young adults and highlight the importance of lifestyle risk factors in the incidence of EOBC.
format Article
id doaj-art-5fa5d8b2ba76400eaa978d67cdaabf4f
institution Kabale University
issn 1471-2407
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Cancer
spelling doaj-art-5fa5d8b2ba76400eaa978d67cdaabf4f2025-08-20T03:31:44ZengBMCBMC Cancer1471-24072025-02-0125111110.1186/s12885-025-13730-yIncidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factorsJasmiina Rantala0Karri Seppä1Johan Eriksson2Sirpa Heinävaara3Tommi Härkänen4Pekka Jousilahti5Paul Knekt6Satu Männistö7Ossi Rahkonen8Nea Malila9Eetu Mäkinen10Heidi Ryynänen11Maarit Laaksonen12Sanna Heikkinen13Janne Pitkäniemi14METCA Study GroupFinnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchFinnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)Department of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)Department of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)Department of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)Department of Public Health, University of HelsinkiFinnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchFinnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchFinnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchFinnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer ResearchAbstract Background The incidence of early-onset breast cancer (< 50 years) has been increasing over the past decades with the role of modifiable, lifestyle-related risk factors remaining mostly unidentified. Methods To investigate the role of key lifestyle factors in the incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer (EOBC), we pooled data from six health studies in Finland in 1972–2015 and combined them with breast cancer data from the Finnish Cancer Registry. The cohort consisted of 56,253 women with 397 EOBCs. The effects of risk factors (hazard ratios) on EOBC and average annual percent change (AAPC) of incidence were estimated using Poisson regression models. Results The highest annual increase in age-standardized incidence was observed among women aged 40–49 who were overweight (AAPC 4.0%, 95% CI 0.5–7.7%), currently smoking (AAPC 3.3%, 95% CI 0.1–6.6%) or moderately physically active (AAPC 2.9%, 95% CI 0.3–5.6%). Conclusions The increase in early-onset breast cancer incidence was highest among women aged 40–49 who were overweight, currently smoking, or moderately physically active, while no change by risk factors was found in women under 40 years of age. Our findings suggest a different type of cancer process in young adults and highlight the importance of lifestyle risk factors in the incidence of EOBC.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-13730-yEarly-onset breast cancerRisk factorsPreventionIncidence trends
spellingShingle Jasmiina Rantala
Karri Seppä
Johan Eriksson
Sirpa Heinävaara
Tommi Härkänen
Pekka Jousilahti
Paul Knekt
Satu Männistö
Ossi Rahkonen
Nea Malila
Eetu Mäkinen
Heidi Ryynänen
Maarit Laaksonen
Sanna Heikkinen
Janne Pitkäniemi
METCA Study Group
Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
BMC Cancer
Early-onset breast cancer
Risk factors
Prevention
Incidence trends
title Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
title_full Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
title_fullStr Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
title_full_unstemmed Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
title_short Incidence trends of early-onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
title_sort incidence trends of early onset breast cancer by lifestyle risk factors
topic Early-onset breast cancer
Risk factors
Prevention
Incidence trends
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-13730-y
work_keys_str_mv AT jasmiinarantala incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT karriseppa incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT johaneriksson incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT sirpaheinavaara incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT tommiharkanen incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT pekkajousilahti incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT paulknekt incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT satumannisto incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT ossirahkonen incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT neamalila incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT eetumakinen incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT heidiryynanen incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT maaritlaaksonen incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT sannaheikkinen incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT jannepitkaniemi incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors
AT metcastudygroup incidencetrendsofearlyonsetbreastcancerbylifestyleriskfactors