Risk of Female Breast Cancer in Lifetime Alcohol Consumption in a Community of Trans Nzoia County, Kenya

Abstract

Consumption of alcohol increases the risk of Breast cancer as revealed in many studies. In 2008, cancer killed 7.6 million people worldwide. In Kenya, one in every eight women had the disease with 2, 2000 deaths in 2011. A matched hospital case control study was carried out to estimate the risk of breast cancer among drinkers and nondrinkers in TransNzoia County. One hundred and fifty participants, 50 cases and 100 controls were included and matched for age (±2) years and residence (1 case to 2 controls). A questionnaire was administered to participants identified from breast cancer registers. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 20 for descriptive statistics. Chi square was used to test association of alcohol and breast cancer. Alcohol measured as ever versus never with OR of 1.558 (p=0.044, 95% CI). Odds ratios > 0-5 and 5 grams of use per day among drinkers and nondrinkers being 1.8 (p=0.02, 95% CI) and 1.0 (p=0.06, 95% CI) respectively. The OR for the time when an individual began drinking was 1.2 (p=0.06 95% CI) but the risk increased with the period consumed 3.2 (P=0.01, 95% CI).This study demonstrated an association between alcohol consumption and breast cancer among women alcohol drinkers and non drinker.

Keywords: Alcohol, Breast cancer, Case control study