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Reproductive factors associated with breast cancer risk may also affect the prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of multiple reproductive factors with breast cancer prognosis and the modifying effects of menopausal status. We obtained data from 3805 breast cancer patients recruited between October 2008 and June 2016 in Guangzhou. The subjects were followed up until 30 June 2018. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using multivariate Cox models to estimate the associations. It was found that there were U‐shaped patterns for the associations of age at first birth and durations from first/last birth to diagnosis with breast cancer prognosis. The adverse effects of old age at first birth [>30 years vs 23‐30 years, HR (95% CI): 1.59 (1.01‐2.50)] and long intervals from first [≥20 years vs 10‐19 years, HR (95% CI): 1.55 (1.07‐2.27)] or last [≥20 years vs 10‐19 years, HR (95% CI): 1.63 (1.08‐2.46)] birth to diagnosis on progression‐free survival (PFS) were significantly more pronounced among premenopausal women. Additionally, long interval (>5 years) between first and second birth was associated with a better PFS [HR (95% CI): 0.64 (0.42‐0.97)]. These results suggested that age at first birth, durations from first/last birth to diagnosis, and intervals between first and second birth should be taken into account when following the patients and assessing the prognosis of breast cancer, particularly for premenopausal patients. These findings would also have implications for further insight into the mechanisms of breast cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the interaction of body mass index(BMI)and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, rs17883901) in catalytic subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCLC) on breast cancer risk., Methods: A total of 839 women with incident breast cancer and 863 age-matched controls without cancer were recruited at the same period in three affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou from October 2008 to June 2010. GCLC rs17883901 was genotyped by MALDI-TOF-MS. Binary unconditional logistic regression was applied to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals., Results: The difference of present BMI and BMI at age 20 was not statistically significant between cases and controls, either as the genotypes of GCLC. No association was found between BMI at present and premenopausal or postmenopausal breast cancer risk. But we found that women who had a BMI at age 20 of 18.5 to 22.9 had a marginally decreased risk of premenopausal breast cancer [OR and 95%CI:0.69(0.48, 1.00)]. Among women with CT/TT genotypes, whose present BMI was greater than 25 had a increased risk [OR and 95%CI:1.91(1.09, 3.36)] of breast cancer and a decreased risk [OR and 95%CI:0.56 (0.31,0.99)] with a BMI at age 20 of 18.5 to 22.9. There was a interaction between GCLC gene(rs17883901)and BMI at present in breast cancer risk (P = 0.043), which was not found between rs17883901 and BMI at age 20., Conclusion: Our findings indicate BMI at age 20 may be a protective factor of premenopausal breast cancer, while no association appears between GCLC(rs17883901) and breast cancer. Obesity at present may significantly increase the risk of breast cancer among women with CT/TT genotypes of GCLC (rs17883901).

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between urinary cadmium and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer., Methods: The clinicopathological characteristics of 240 patients with breast cancer were obtained and urine specimens were collected from October 2009 to July 2010. The concentration of urinary cadmium was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). χ(2) test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to analyze whether urinary cadmium is associated with clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer., Results: The median concentration of urine cadmium of 240 patients was 1.99 µg/g (25th percentile, 1.32 µg/g; 75th percentile, 2.88 µg/g). HER-2 positive rate, regional/distant metastasis rate, and advanced stage rate in patients with the highest tertile of cadmium concentration were significantly higher than those in the patients with second and lowest Cd tertiles (P = 0.042, P = 0.028 and P = 0.017, respectively), and 28.2% vs. 16.5% for HER-2 and 47.2% vs. 32.0% for regional/distant metastasis, respectively. There were still significant associations between urinary cadmium levels and these clinicopathological parameters after being adjusted in age by unconditional logistic regression model, respectively (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that urinary cadmium levels are associated with the HER-2 status, regional/distant metastasis status and stages of breast cancer, respectively. Cadmium may induce highly aggressive breast cancer in humans.

Objective: To detect the protein expressions of survivin and NF (nuclear factor)-κB and investigate their roles in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma., Methods: A total of 206 cases were diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma, and immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the protein expressions of survivin and NF-κB in hepatocellular carcinoma samples and normal liver tissue specimens. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the relationship of protein expressions of survivin and NF-κB and clinico-pathological parameters and prognosis., Results: The expression of survivin was predominant in cytoplasm while that of NF-κB was in nucleolus. The positive rate of survivin protein was 78.2% in hepatocellular carcinoma and that of NF-κB was 81.1%. The positive rate of survivin and NF-κB was higher in hepatocellular carcinoma than that in benign hepatic tissue (11.7% and 15.5%). Significant differences existed in the expressions of survivin and NF-κB between hepatocellular carcinoma and normal hepatic tissue (P < 0.01). The expression of survivin was related to amicula invasion, portal vein tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage in hepatocellular carcinoma (P < 0.01). The expression of NF-κB was also related to portal vein tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage in hepatocellular carcinoma (P < 0.05). There was an obviously positive correlation between the expressions of survivin and NF-κB in hepatocellular carcinoma (r = 0.52, P < 0.01). Survival rate of patients for 1, 3 year of positive expression of survivin and NF-κB in hepatocellular carcinoma was 70.3% and 30.4%, respectively. And it was obviously lower than that of those of negative expression (88.5% and 61.5%). There was significant difference in the expressions of survivin and NF-κB between positive and negative subjects in 1, 3 year (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Protein expressions of survivin and NF-κB are higher in hepatocellular carcinoma. And they play mutually promoting roles in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, an important prognostic indicator may be adopted.