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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Feb 18.
Published in final edited form as: Eur J Nutr. 2021 Jun 21;60(8):4565–4577. doi: 10.1007/s00394-021-02517-z

Table 4.

Cumulative average of post-diagnostic energy-adjusted dietary sugar intake in relation to breast cancer-specific mortality after breast cancer diagnosis, stratified by insulin receptor status (n = 2,501 women, n=392 breast cancer deaths) and estrogen receptor status (n=8,384 women, n=982 breast cancer deaths), Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II

Quintile Median
of intake (grams)
IR Status ER Status
No. of deaths IR positive No. of deaths IR negative No. of deaths ER positive No. of deaths ER negative
Total sugar
1 67.2 41 1 43 1 157 1 37 1
2 84.8 29 0.90 (0.55-1.47) 37 0.81 (0.51-1.29) 126 0.89 (0.70-1.13) 33 0.95 (0.58-1.54)
3 97.4 30 0.86 (0.52-1.42) 39 0.87 (0.55-1.38) 146 1.07 (0.85-1.35) 39 0.96 (0.60-1.55)
4 111.1 41 1.10 (0.69-1.76) 53 1.32 (0.85-2.06) 169 1.15 (0.91-1.44) 50 1.28 (0.81-2.02)
5 132.7 36 0.72 (0.43-1.20) 43 1.22 (0.76-1.94) 171 1.10 (0.87-1.39) 54 1.40 (0.89-2.22)
P trend 0.38 0.11 0.14 0.05
P Interaction 0.03 0.11
Added sugar
1 20.1 38 1 42 1 163 1 33 1
2 30.1 35 1.05 (0.65-1.69) 55 1.24 (0.81-1.89) 152 0.97 (0.77-1.21) 32 0.99 (0.60-1.64)
3 38.2 36 1.07 (0.66-1.73) 43 0.93 (0.60-1.46) 147 1.03 (0.82-1.29) 40 0.98 (0.60-1.59)
4 47.6 43 1.27 (0.79-2.04) 36 0.89 (0.55-1.43) 148 1.08 (0.86-1.35) 55 1.40 (0.89-2.21)
5 66.8 25 0.60 (0.35-1.03) 39 1.19 (0.73-1.92) 159 1.06 (0.85-1.33) 53 1.31 (0.83-2.08)
P trend 0.10 0.90 0.43 0.09
P Interaction 0.20 0.04
Natural sugar
1 34.5 27 1 41 1 151 1 50 1
2 47.1 35 1.21 (0.72-2.03) 34 0.77 (0.48-1.25) 118 0.86 (0.68-1.10) 38 0.85 (0.55-1.32)
3 56.6 32 1.25 (0.73-2.14) 43 0.87 (0.55-1.38) 154 1.01 (0.80-1.28) 35 0.89 (0.57-1.39)
4 66.9 45 1.67 (1.00-2.81) 49 0.96 (0.62-1.49) 172 1.17 (0.93-1.47) 48 1.21 (0.79-1.84)
5 83.3 38 0.97 (0.56-1.67) 48 0.98 (0.62-1.56) 174 0.97 (0.76-1.22) 42 1.00 (0.64-1.56)
P trend 0.97 0.73 0.61 0.56
P Interaction 0.47 0.83
Sucrose
1 22.9 42 1 39 1 154 1 30 1
2 30.8 32 0.89 (0.55-1.43) 48 1.14 (0.73-1.78) 161 1.02 (0.81-1.28) 36 1.39 (0.84-2.29)
3 36.9 40 1.22 (0.77-1.94) 45 1.11 (0.71-1.75) 141 1.06 (0.84-1.34) 40 1.10 (0.67-1.81)
4 43.6 28 0.72 (0.43-1.20) 42 1.04 (0.65-1.66) 142 1.05 (0.83-1.33) 61 1.68 (1.05-2.68)
5 56.1 35 0.80 (0.49-1.30) 41 1.02 (0.63-1.66) 171 1.15 (0.92-1.45) 46 1.31 (0.80-2.14)
P trend 0.25 0.90 0.20 0.24
P Interaction 0.33 0.17
Fructose
1 13.0 31 1 35 1 124 1 36 1
2 17.5 33 1.10 (0.65-1.84) 43 1.33 (0.83-2.12) 140 1.34 (1.04-1.71) 39 1.22 (0.76-1.95)
3 20.9 36 1.55 (0.93-2.58) 38 1.31 (0.81-2.13) 139 1.31 (1.02-1.68) 47 1.51 (0.96-2.38)
4 24.9 43 1.91 (1.16-3.14) 45 1.28 (0.80-2.03) 188 1.54 (1.22-1.95) 40 1.55 (0.96-2.50)
5 32.0 34 0.80 (0.47-1.38) 54 1.73 (1.09-2.74) 178 1.32 (1.04-1.68) 51 1.38 (0.88-2.16)
P trend 0.62 0.03 0.03 0.17
P Interaction 0.03 0.68

Models were stratified by cohort and adjusted for age at diagnosis (year), calendar year of diagnosis, time between diagnosis and first FFQ (year), calendar year at start of follow-up of each-2-year questionnaire cycle, pre-diagnostic BMI (<18.5, 18.5 to <25.0, 25.0 to <30, 30 to <35, ≥35 kg/m2, missing), BMI change after diagnosis [no change (≥−0.5 to ≤0.5 kg/m2), decrease (<−0.5 kg/m2), increase (>0.5-2 kg/m2), increase (>2 kg/m2), missing], post-diagnostic smoking (never, past, current 1-14 cigarettes/day, current 15-24 cigarettes/day, current ≥25 cigarettes/day, missing), post-diagnostic physical activity (<5, 5 to <11.5, 11.5 to <22, ≥22 MET-h/week, missing), oral contraceptive use (ever, never), post-diagnostic alcohol consumption (<0.15, 0.15 to <2.0, 2.0 to 7.5, ≥7.5 g/day), post-diagnostic total energy intake (quintiles, kcal/day), pre-diagnostic menopausal status, age at menopause, and postmenopausal hormone use status (premenopausal; postmenopausal, age at menopause<50 year, and never postmenopausal hormone use; postmenopausal, age at menopause<50 year, and past postmenopausal hormone use; postmenopausal, age at menopause<50 year, and current postmenopausal hormone use; postmenopausal, age at menopause≥50 year, and never postmenopausal hormone use; postmenopausal, age at menopause≥50 year, and past postmenopausal hormone use; postmenopausal, age at menopause≥50 year, and current postmenopausal hormone use; missing), post-diagnostic aspirin use (never, past, current, missing), race (non-Hispanic white, other), stage of disease (I, II, III), ER/PR status (ER/PR positive, ER positive and PR negative, ER/PR negative, missing), radiotherapy (yes, no, missing), chemotherapy (yes, no, missing), and hormonal treatment (yes, no, missing). In the ER status analysis, we did not adjust for ER/PR status.