Age at menarche and cancer risk at adulthood

Abstract

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the association between age at menarche and cancer using a nationally representative sample of Brazilian women.

Methods: Data from the Brazilian Health Survey (PNS), a nationally representative survey conducted in 2013 (n = 33,715 women; ≥18 years), were used. Information on cancer diagnosis, age at menarche and other co-variables (chronological age, educational status, skin colour, menopause, leisure-time physical activity and tobacco smoking) were collected via interview. Logistic regression models were used for aetiological analyses.

Results: The prevalence of cancer diagnosis was greater among women with early age at menarche [2.6% (2.0–3.5%)] compared to on-time [1.6% (1.4–1.9%)] and late women [2.0% (1.1–3.4%)]. The onset of menarche ≤11 years was significantly associated with cancer risk, regardless of co-variables [OR =2.45 (1.34–4.48)], compared to the late group.

Conclusion: Early age at menarche was associated with cancer risk in adulthood, regardless of race, educational status, chronological age, obesity, menopause onset, tobacco smoking or physical activity.

Keywords:

• Puberty
• adult
• menstruation
• reproductive physiological phenomena
• motor activity

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the original studies involving human participants were approved by national council of ethics in research (CONEP: 10853812.7.0000.0008) in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of all participating of the present research as well as for IBGE for the collection of data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.