Relationship between Menarche and Oral Contraceptive and breast cancer in Abuja, Nigeria

Breast cancer has recently become the commonest cancer occurring in pre-menopausal women in Nigeria and interestingly there are considerably international variations in the incidence, mortality and clinical behavior of the disease. Patient with breast disease make up to 10% of all surgical attendances and has become the commonest group of female cancer occurring in pre-menopausal women in Nigeria. This study was conducted to ascertain the degree of association of certain breast cancer risk factors among Nigerian breast cancer population and possible predict the strength of the risk factors. The risk factors which included a family history of breast cancer, age at onset of breast cancer, marriage, and religion, age at menarche, oral contraceptive and parity were examined to assess their relationship with breast cancer. Amongst risk factors considered, oral contraceptive, age, medical history, marital status, menarche, and parity showed a strong association(X?= 6.197, P- 0.013, OR 1.288, X? 27.34, X?= 9.062, P- 0.028, X?= 21.72, P- 0.00, X?= 21.92, P ? 0.00, OR 1.316, X? = 21.147, P ? 0.00)respectively thou not statistically significant at p->0.05.Oral contraceptives and menarche shows a bimodal odd ratio of 1.3, and 1.2 for religion among subjects .The current study present the extent of the relationship between breast cancer risk factors and in breast cancer population in Abuja Nigeria. Mass education and awareness of the factors examined will help to reduce the prevalence of breast cancer in Nigeria.