Risk Factors for Human Breast Cancer (3b): Age at Menarche

Stand / Letzte Aktualisierung durch Elisabeth Rieping 2004/07/27

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Similar to the trend in breastfeeding, the time shift to early menarche started in the nineteenth century[i] 64 .

 Early menarche is consistently found in breast cancer patients[ii],[iii],[iv],[v],[vi],[vii],[viii],[ix].[x],[xi],[xii],[xiii],[xiv],[xv] ,[xvi].

A feature that is easily explainable as an effect of overweight induced by artificial feeding, as menarche is dependant on a certain minimal weight.
Obese girls have an earlier menarche than their slim counterparts, a difference that has been found in different societies [xvii],[xviii],[xix],[xx],[xxi],
[xxii],[xxiii],[xxiv].

Thus, both overweight and early menarche may be a consequence of bottle feeding.

[i] Tanner JM. Physical growth. In P.M. Mussen (Ed.), Carmichaels Manual of Child Psychology (Vol. 1). New York: Wiley, 1970

[ii] [ii] Valaaoras VG, MacMahon B, Trichopoulos D,et la. Lactation and reproductive histories of breast cancer patients in greater Athens,
1965-67. Int J Cancer 4: 350-363, 1969.

[iii] Lin TM, Chen KP, MacMahon B. Epidemiologic Characteristics of cancer Of the Breast in Taiwan. Cancer 27: 1497-1504, 1971

[iv] Ravnihar B, MacMahon B, Lindtner J, Epidemiologic features of breast Cancer in Slovenia,  1965-67. Eur J Cancer 7: 295-221, 1971.

[v] Salber EJ, Trichopoulos D, MacMahon B,. Lactation and reproductive histories of breast cancer patients in Boston 1965-1966. J Natl
Cancer Inst, 43: 1013-1024, 1969. 
[vi] Shapiro S, Strax P, Venet L, Fink R. The search for  Risk factors in breast cancer. Am J Public Health Nations Health 58: 820-835,
1970.

[vii] Henderson BE, Powell D, Rosario I, Keys C, Hanisch R, Young M, Casagrande J, Gerkins V, Pike MC.    An epidemioogic study of
breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 53: 609-614, 1974

[viii] Tulinius H, Day NE, Johannesson G, Bjarnason O, Gonzales M. Reproductive factors and risk for breast cancer in Iceland. Int J
Cancer 21: 724-730, 1978.

[ix] Thein-Hlang, Thein-Maung-Mint. Risk factors of breast cancer in Burma. Int J Cancer 21: 432-437, 1978.

[x] Talamini R, La Vecchia O, Franceschi S, Colombo F, Decarli A, Granttoni E, Grigoletto E, Tognoni G, Reproductive and hormonal
factors and breast cancer in a northern Italian population. Int J Epidemio 14: 70-74, 1985.

[xi] Yuasa S, MacMahon B. Lactation and reproductive histories of breast  cancer patients in Tokyo, Japan. Bull WHO 42: 195-204, 1970.

[xii] Stavracky K, Emmons S. Breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 53: 647-654, 1974.

[xiii] Staszewski J. Age at Menarche and breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 47: 935-940, 1971.

[xiv] Lubin Jh, Burns PE, Blot WJ, Lees AW, May C, Morris LE, Fraumeni JF. Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women in Northern
Alberta, Canada, as Related to Age at Diagnosis. JNCI GB: 211-217, 1982.

[xv] Byers T, Graham S, Rzepka T, Marshall J. Lactation and Breast Cancer. Am J Epidemiol 124: 353-358, 1986.

[xvi] McTiernan A, Thomas DB. Evidence for a protective effect of lactation on risk of breast cancer in young women. Am J Epidemoil 124:
353-358, 1986.

[xvii] Frisch RE, Revelle R. The height and weight of girls and boys at the time of initiation of the adolescent growth spurt in height and
weight and the relationship to menarche. Hum Biol 43: 140-159, 1971. 

[xviii] Acheson RM. Marturition of the skeleton. In Human Development. Ed. Faulkner F. Philadelphia, PA, WB Saunders: 465-502, 1966
[xix] Frisch RE. Criticak weight at Menarche, initiation of the adolescent growth spurt, and control of puberty ln: Control of the Onset of
Puberty. Ed Grumbach MM Grave GD, Mayer FE. New York, Wiley  403-423, 1974 

[xx] Bruch H. Obesity in childhood. I. Physical growth and development of obese children. Am J Dis Child 58: 457-484, 1939.

[xxi] Forbes GB. Lean body Mass and fat in obese children. Pediatrics 34: 308-314, 1964.

[xxii] Nobecutz P. Obesete et puberte. Presse Med 46: 449-452, 1938.

[xxiii] Quade F, Obese children - Anthropology  and Environment. Copenhagen, Danish Science Presse, Ltd, 1955.

[xxiv] Wolff OH. Obesity in childhood. Q J Med  24: 109-123, 1955.

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