Original Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2006) 60, 280–286. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602313; published online 19 October 2005
Folate intake, alcohol and risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women in Denmark
Guarantor: A Tjønneland.
Contributors: AT, AO, CS and KO formulated the idea for the presented study. SBN coded the food supplement data. AT drafted the paper. JC and BT were responsible for the data analyses. All authors commented earlier drafts and approved the final version.
A Tjønneland1, J Christensen1, A Olsen1, C Stripp1, S B Nissen1, K Overvad2 and B L Thomsen1
- 1Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, The Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
Correspondence: Dr A Tjønneland, Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, The Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. E-mail: annet@cancer.dk
Received 14 January 2005; Revised 18 August 2005; Accepted 1 September 2005; Published online 19 October 2005.
Abstract
Objective:
There is consistent evidence that alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. It has been suggested that the increased risk associated with alcohol intake may be reduced by adequate intake of folate. Since many women consume alcohol, detection of a risk-reducing mechanism would have major public health implications.
Design:
We therefore evaluated the possible interaction between alcohol and folate in a paired nested case–control study among postmenopausal women.
Setting:
A total of 24 697 postmenopausal women were included in the 'Diet, Cancer and Health' follow-up study between December 1993 and May 1997. The cohort was followed until December 2000. The study included 388 cases of breast cancer and 388 randomly selected controls were used to estimate the breast cancer incidence rate ratio (IRR) in conditional logistic regression analysis.
Results:
A previously established association between alcohol intake and risk of breast cancer was present mainly among women with low folate intake. An IRR of 1.19 (95% CI: 0.99–1.42) per 10 g average daily alcohol intake was found for women with a daily folate intake below 300 
g, while among women with a folate intake higher than 350 g, we could not show an association between the alcohol intake and the breast cancer incidence rate (e.g. folate intake >400 g; IRR of 1.01 (95% CI: 0.85–1.20)).
Conclusion:
The findings support the evidence that adequate folate intake may attenuate the risk of breast cancer associated with high alcohol intake.
Sponsorship:
The Danish Cancer Society.
Keywords:
alcohol, folate, breast neoplasms, cohort study
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