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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Jun 8.
Published in final edited form as: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Apr 25;114(3):549–558. doi: 10.1007/s10549-008-0026-1
Family History Exposure Family History of Women Included1
No family history No relatives with a positive history of breast cancer (Referent group for all analyses)
1st degree family history
1st degree history only ≥ 1 affected first-degree relatives, no affected second- degree relatives
1st and 2nd degree history ≥ 1 affected first AND second-degree relatives
Number of affected 1st degree relatives
 1 1 affected first-degree relative, regardless of second-degree history
 ≥ 2 ≥ 2 affected first-degree relatives, regardless of second-degree history
Age of affected 1st degree relatives
 ≥ 50 years only ≥ 1 affected first-degree relative diagnosed ≥ 50 years, none diagnosed < 50 years, regardless of second-degree history
 At least one <50 years ≥ 1 affected first-degree relative diagnosed < 50 years, regardless of second-degree history
2nd degree family history
2nd degree history only ≥ 1 affected second-degree relative, no affected first-degree relatives
Number of affected 2nd degree relatives
 1 1 affected second-degree relative, no affected first-degree relatives
 ≥ 2 ≥ 2 affected second-degree relatives, no affected first-degree relatives
Age of affected 2nd degree relatives
 ≥ 50 years only ≥ 1 affected second-degree relative diagnosed ≥ 50 years, none diagnosed < 50 years, and no first-degree history
 At least one <50 years ≥ 1 affected second-degree relative diagnosed < 50 years and no first-degree history
Specific Relative History2
Number of affected relatives
 1 1 affected specific relative
 ≥ 2 ≥ 2 affected specific relatives
Number of affected relatives and age at diagnosis
 Only affected ≥ 50 years
  1 1 relative diagnosed ≥ 50 years, none diagnosed < 50 years
  ≥ 2 ≥ 2 relatives diagnosed ≥ 50 years, none diagnosed < 50 years
 ≥ 1 relative < 50 years At least 1 relative diagnosed < 50 years
1

In only female relatives: mother, sister(s), aunt(s), daughter(s)

2

For grandmother, sister, and aunt history