High use of complementary and alternative medicine among a large cohort of women with a family history of breast cancer: the Sister Study.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is high among U.S. women, yet information is limited on use among women at increased breast cancer risk. We analyzed CAM use among women with a family history of breast cancer. CAM use was analyzed among women enrolled 2003-2009 in the Sister Study cohort. Eligible women were aged 35-74, U.S. or Puerto Rican residents, no personal history of breast cancer, and had ≥1 sister with breast cancer. Baseline data on CAM use in the past year were available for 49,734 women. Logistic regression models examined the association between CAM use and Gail Model breast cancer risk score. Results were compared to female participants in the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (n = 7965). Among Sister Study participants, there was high use of vitamin/mineral supplements (79 %), mind-body practices (41 %), manipulative/body-based practices (32 %), and botanicals (23 %). Overall use was higher than the U.S. female population. No association was observed between familial breast cancer risk and CAM use. Black women were more likely to use spirituality/meditation-based CAM modalities, while non-Hispanic white and Asian women were high users of dietary supplements. In a cohort of women with increased breast cancer risk due to family history, CAM use is higher than women in the general U.S. population and is associated with race/ethnicity. Use was not associated with breast cancer risk. Given the high prevalence of CAM use among women at risk for breast caner, research on the effectiveness of CAM use for disease prevention is needed.

Phthalate exposure and pulmonary function.

Exposure to phthalates is widespread because of their use in plastics, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Phthalate exposure has been associated with adverse respiratory outcomes in children. With urinary phthalate measures, we assessed the association between phthalate exposure and four pulmonary function parameters [forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximum mid-expiratory flow] among the 240 adult Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) participants with urinary phthalate data. Linear regression models controlled for race, age, age squared, standing height, body mass index, cumulative smoking, and current smoking. Monobutyl phthalate (MBP) was significantly associated with decrements in three measures of pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, PEF) in males but not in females. For a change from the 25th to the 75th percentile in MBP level among men, FEV1 decreased 112 mL (SE = 51, p = 0.03). Monoethyl phthalate (MEP) was associated with lower FVC and FEV1 values in men. Monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), the metabolite of the plasticizer commonly used in medical tubing, was not adversely associated with any of the pulmonary function parameters evaluated. Our results suggest that MBP and MEP, but not MEHP, may influence pulmonary function among adult males.