A matched case control study of risk indicators of breast cancer in assam, India.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide especially in a developing country like India. It also occupies the highest place with relative proportion 17.5% in the Hospital Based Cancer Registry in progress in the Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Research Institute. Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Research Institute is the Regional Cancer Care Center for entire North East region of India. With this background a matched case control study of 100 cases of breast cancer and 100 controls was carried out to investigate the role of different Socio economic, Female Reproductive and Life style related factors and to understand the etiology of breast cancer in Assam. Controls are matched to the cases by age at diagnosis (±5 years), family income and place of residence with matching ratio 1:1. Data were collected using questionnaire and then conditional logistic regression analysis is used to estimate the odd ratios for several factors. Study revealed that breast cancer occurrence has statistical association with the factors chewing habits (p=0.003), number of children (p=0.080), age at marriage (p=0.014), age at first child birth (p=0.007), age at menarche (p=0.010).