Risk factors of breast cancer in women referring to the surgical clinic of northern Iran Hospitals over a ten-year period (2011-2021).

Background: Breast cancer is a major global health concern, with the highest incidence in women and the main cause of cancer-related deaths in them worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors related to breast cancer in women. Methods: This is a case-control study on breast cancer patients referred to the Surgery Clinic during the years 2011 to 2021. There were 131 participants in the case group and 131 in the control group. Patient information was collected through medical records, face-to-face or telephone interviews. This study has the ethics code IR.MUBABOL.HRI.REC.1401.226 from the National Organization for Ethics in Biomedical Research of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. Results: 262 participants were included in the study, 50% were in the case group (breast cancer) and 131 (50%) were in the control group. Between the case and control group in terms of demographic variables, age (P=0.289), height (P=0.254), education level (P=0.785), marital status (P=0.421), place of birth (P=0.668) and place of residence (P=0.454) have been no statistically significant difference. Presence of underlying disease (P=0.005), less physical activity (p<0.001), older age at first delivery (P=0.003), lower menstrual age (P=0.001), history of breastfeeding for at least one year (P=0.002) and use of oral contraceptives (P=0.015) can significantly predict the incidence of breast cancer. Conclusion: OCP use, underlying disease, less physical activity, older age at first delivery, younger age at menstruation, and history of breastfeeding for at least one year are associated with the incidence of breast cancer.