Table 3

Age and age-standardised characteristics of breast cancer cases, Nurses' Health Study (1976 to 1996)

Risk factors
DCIS (n = 272)
Invasive (n = 2249)

Means


Age at diagnosis, y
57.9
57.3
Age at menopause, y
45.2
45.5
Age at menarche, y
12.3
12.4
Body mass index at age 18, kg/m2
20.9
21.0
Paritya
3.1
3.2
Age at first birtha, y
24.9
25.4
Alcohol, g/week
5.7
6.3



Frequency, %


Family history of breast cancer
19.0
13.3
Nulliparous
6.9
6.9
Premenopausal at diagnosis
22.4
20.8
Postmenopausal at diagnosis
76.2
77.2
Prior benign breast disease
57.0
44.8
Current postmenopausal hormone useb
37.3
31.9



Molecular Markers, %


ER positive
74.0
77.0
PR positive
59.9
64.4
HER2 positive
27.2
10.9

aAmong parous women only. bAmong postmenopausal women only. DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ; ER, oestrogen receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; PR, progesterone receptor.

Tamimi et al. Breast Cancer Research 2008 10:R67   doi:10.1186/bcr2128