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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Dec 15.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Cancer. 2017 Sep 13;141(12):2462–2470. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31019

Table 3.

Adult height in relation to breast cancer incidence, stratified by age at menarche, 1995–2015.

Age at menarche ≥14 years
All invasive breast cancer (n=308)
ER+ breast cancer (n=164)
ER- breast cancer (n=96)
Person-years Cases HR 95% CI Cases HR 95% CI Cases HR 95% CI
Adult height (inches)
 ≤63 51,178 94 1.0 Ref 45 1.0 Ref 36 1.0 Ref
 64–65 51,632 79 0.84 (0.62, 1.13) 42 0.93 (0.61, 1.43) 21 0.59 (0.34, 1.02)
 66–67 55,237 71 0.71 (0.52, 0.96) 40 0.83 (0.54, 1.27) 19 0.50 (0.29, 0.88)
 68–69 25,974 37 0.78 (0.53, 1.15) 21 0.89 (0.52, 1.51) 13 0.74 (0.39, 1.42)
 ≥70 14,925 27 1.14 (0.74, 1.75) 16 1.43 (0.80, 2.55) 7 0.81 (0.35, 1.83)
 per 1-inch increase 198,946 308 0.98 (0.94, 1.02) 164 1.01 (0.95, 1.06) 96 0.95 (0.89, 1.02)
  P-valuea 0.35 0.85 0.19
Age at menarche 12–13 years
All invasive breast cancer (n=965)
ER+ breast cancer (n=552)
ER- breast cancer (n=266)
Person-years Cases HR 95% CI Cases HR 95% CI Cases HR 95% CI
Adult height (inches)
 ≤63 159,398 245 1.0 Ref 141 1.0 Ref 67 1.0 Ref
 64–65 153,590 304 1.33 (1.12, 1.57) 183 1.41 (1.13, 1.76) 77 1.20 (0.87, 1.67)
 66–67 139,513 260 1.27 (1.06, 1.51) 153 1.31 (1.04, 1.65) 73 1.27 (0.91, 1.77)
 68–69 64,708 100 1.15 (0.91, 1.45) 47 0.94 (0.67, 1.31) 31 1.27 (0.82, 1.94)
 ≥70 29,591 56 1.44 (1.08, 1.93) 28 1.27 (0.84, 1.91) 18 1.66 (0.98, 2.81)
 per 1-inch increase 546,800 965 1.03 (1.01, 1.06) 552 1.02 (0.99, 1.05) 266 1.04 (1.00, 1.09)
  P-valuea <0.01 0.23 0.06
Age at menarche ≤11 years
All invasive breast cancer (n=553)
ER+ breast cancer (n=299)
ER- breast cancer (n=180)
Person-years Cases HR 95% CI Cases HR 95% CI Cases HR 95% CI
Adult height (inches)
 ≤63 106,236 202 1.0 Ref 108 1.0 Ref 67 1.0 Ref
 64–65 83,626 133 0.87 (0.70, 1.08) 69 0.84 (0.62, 1.14) 46 0.90 (0.62, 1.31)
 66–67 69,923 133 1.07 (0.86, 1.33) 68 1.02 (0.75, 1.39) 43 1.03 (0.70, 1.52)
 68–69 28,729 59 1.22 (0.91, 1.64) 34 1.34 (0.91, 1.98) 19 1.13 (0.68, 1.90)
 ≥70 12,000 26 1.27 (0.84, 1.91) 20 1.84 (1.14, 2.98) 5 0.70 (0.28, 1.74)
 per 1-inch increase 300,514 553 1.02 (0.99, 1.05) 299 1.04 (1.00, 1.09) 180 0.98 (0.93, 1.04)
  P-valuea 0.33 0.04 0.47

ER, estrogen receptor; HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval Multivariable HRs are adjusted for age, questionnaire cycle, family history of breast cancer, current BMI (continuous, kg/m2), parity/age at first birth, oral contraceptive use, menopausal status, estrogen plus progestin use, education, and age at attained height.

a

Based on continuous term in multivariable model.