Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Asian-American (AA) women. Many breast cancer risk factors in adult life have been established from previous studies such as age, family history, adult BMI, menopausal status, parity, use of HRT and immigration status. However, early-life risk factors are yet to be studied in this population as they may play an etiological role for breast cancer later in life. Hence, this study aims to find an association between breast cancer risk and early-life factors in body size, socioeconomic status, and exposures to infectious environments.

Research Question: Are early-life factors (before age 18) in body size, socioeconomic status (SES), and exposure to infectious environments associated with breast cancer risk among Asian American women?

Mentors: Scarlett Gomez, MPH, PhD, Mi-Suk Kang Dufour, MPH, PhD