Breast Cancer Risk Factors in the Abu Dhabi Population: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the majority of cases characteristically occurring in women younger than 50 years. Studies on breast cancer risk factors in the UAE are few.

Methods

This retrospective study, from 2011 to 2013 until 2023, aimed to estimate the prevalence of a history of cancer and lifetime risk. A nested case-control study was designed from the cohort to study breast cancer risk with four controls for each case matched by the date of diagnosis.

Results

Breast cancer incidence was 0.85 %, 37 cases out of the 4338 females in the cohort. No males were diagnosed with the condition. Out of the 129 females with cancer, breast cancer was the most common type, 28% of all kinds of cancers.

Three risk factors for breast cancer were identified using conditional Cox regression analysis of the matched nested case-control study. The strongest was being a patient with diabetes Mellitus, HR=13.1 (3.2-52.8) P<0.001. Another metabolic abnormality that is associated with the occurrence of breast cancer in this population was a higher level of total cholesterol, HR=1.59 (1.03-2.44), P-value=0.035. Vitamin D showed a protective association with 58% reduced risk with levels above 75, HR=0.042 (0.002-0.73) P=0.042. The area under the ROC Curve for predicting breast cancer using this model was 0.753 (0.666-0.839). The area under the ROC Curve for predicting breast cancer using this model was 0.753 (0.666-0.839).

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of understanding the various risk factors associated with breast cancer development and stresses the pivotal role of advancing diagnostic methods to improve early detection. By synthesizing current knowledge, this study aims to enhance our understanding of breast cancer’s complex nature and guide future research directions, screening practices, and preventive measurements.