Clinical-environment characteristics among Brazilian women diagnosed with benign breast disease

Introduction: Although benign breast disease (BBD) is one of the main breast cancer risk factors, its natural history is still unclear. The breast development, maturation, and differentiation suffer hormones and growth factors influence that may modulate BBD development. Thus, clinical-environment risk factors could influence BBD histological type. Aim: To evaluate the distribution of selected environmental, clinical, sociodemographic, and reproductive factors in cohorts of Brazilian women diagnosed with benign breast disease, according to histopathology group. Methodology: Cross-sectional study conducted with women with BBD diagnose referred to two hospitals in Rio de Janeiro (IFF/Fiocruz and HFL/Ministry of Health) from 2013 and 2018. A standardized questionnaire was applied by trained interviewers. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% respective confidence interval were estimated using multinomial logistic regression. Results: From 353 women included, 62.9% had non-proliferative diseases, 27.8% had proliferative diseases without atypia, and 9.3% had proliferative diseases with atypia or lobular carcinoma in situ. About 30% were either current or former smokers, and reported alcohol consumption. Women exposed to hair dyes and hair straightening products (81.8%) were statistically higher in the proliferative lesion with atypia/lobular carcinoma in situ compared with non-proliferative and proliferative without atypia lesions. Compared to women with non-proliferative diseases, those with proliferative diseases with atypia or lobular carcinoma in situ were more likely to be older at diagnosis (OR =1.05;95%CI:1.01-1.09); to have 3+ histological types in biopsied lesion (OR=26.74;95%CI: 9.79-73.01); and to have regular menstrual cycles (OR=2.98; 95%CI: 1.03-8.66). Conclusion: Findings suggest that age at diagnosis, increased histological types found in biopsied tissue, and having presented regular menstrual cycles throughout the reproductive period may be associated with benign lesions with a high risk of breast cancer. Keywords: breast diseases; epidemiology; breast neoplasms.