Familial risk factors for breast cancer among Arab women in Israel

The incidence of breast cancer in Arab women is low compared with western populations in other countries. Very few studies on risk factors for breast cancer in Arab women have been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate familial risk factors for breast cancer among Arab women in Israel. A case-control study was carried out on 72 Arab women diagnosed with breast cancer and 140 healthy controls. Cases were identified through oncology wards and controls were sampled from community and hospital out-patient clinics. All participants were interviewed and information obtained on family history of breast cancer and other cancers, and other potential risk factors. Eight women with breast cancer and five women without breast cancer had a first-degree relative with breast cancer. The odds ratio for breast cancer for a woman with a first-degree relative with breast cancer was 3.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-10.7, P = 0.04). The odds ratio for Muslim women with a first-degree relative with breast cancer was higher than that for Christian women (6.07 and 1.53, respectively). Family history of breast cancer was a risk factor for breast cancer in Arab women. The estimated relative risk associated with an affected first-degree relative was generally higher than that reported from other populations. (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.