Risk of Breast Cancer in Families with Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

PURPOSE To test whether females in families with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) have increased breast cancer risk METHODS Using the Danish Facial Cleft Registry, females with CL/P, mothers of children with CL/P, and sisters to CL/P cases were identified for the Danish birth cohorts 1911 to 1975. These females were compared to a 5% random sample of these cohorts regarding the incidence and age of onset for breast cancer registered in the Danish Hospital Discharge Register 1977–2005. RESULTS Examining 48,404 person-years for 1,809 female CL/P cases (49 breast cancer cases) and 212,795 person-years for 7935 female relatives (188 breast cancer cases) we found no increased breast cancer risk for either CL/P cases (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92–1.63), mothers of children with CL/P (HR = 0.93, 95%, CI: 0.80–1.08), or sisters of CL/P cases (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.55–1.60). Neither were there any significant differences in age of onset. CONCLUSION Both epidemiological and genetic studies have suggested common etiological factors for breast cancer and cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). However, this population-based study was not able to confirm a general increase in breast cancer risk among females in families with CL/P.

Risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate in relatives of women with breast cancer

“…Data from Denmark initially suggested that NSCL/P in females may increase the risks for breast cancer [Bille et al, 2005], although this suggestion was not confirmed in a later study [Dietz et al, 2012]. Family data from Pittsburgh, US, showed that families with individuals born with NSCL/P report breast cancer more often than families without babies born with birth defects, including oral clefts [Menezes et al, 2002].…”

Risk of leukemia in first degree relatives of patients with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate

“…Similarly, the risk of breast cancer in families with patients affected by NSCL/P was not increased. 9 On the other hand, a study showed a family history of cancer (colon, brain, leukemia, breast, prostate, skin, lung and liver) more often in relatives of NSCL/P compared to the control group. Recently, we evaluated the risk of NSCL/P in relatives of women with breast cancer in the Brazilian population and found no association between the two conditions.…”

“…7 The association between cancer and NSCL/P could be attributable to both genetic factors and/or familial environmental factors that are both teratogenic and carcinogenic. 9 Another possibility could be that having a cleft leads to social marginalization and changes in lifestyle that may be predisposed to an individual and their family to cancer (i.e. smoking, high alcohol use, etc.).…”

8 Epidemiology of Cleft Lip and Palate

“…Several studies from different countries (USA, Latvia, Denmark, and Brazil) have identified an association between cleft palate and cancer [90][91][92][93][94][95]. The first epidemiological studies addressed the presence of cancer in cleft lip/palate subjects and their families.…”