Migration History, Language Acculturation, and Mammographic Breast Density

Background: Breast cancer incidence is lower in many U.S. ethnic minority and foreign-born population groups. Investigating whether migration and acculturation patterns in risk are reflected in disease biomarkers may help to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: We compared the distribution of breast cancer risk factors across U.S.-born white, African American and Hispanic women, and foreign-born Hispanic women (n = 477, ages 40–64 years, 287 born in Caribbean countries). We used linear regression models to examine the associations of migration history and linguistic acculturation with mammographic breast density (MBD), measured using computer-assisted methods as percent and area of dense breast tissue.

Results: The distribution of most breast cancer risk factors varied by ethnicity, nativity, and age at migration. In age- and body mass index–adjusted models, U.S.-born women did not differ in average MBD according to ethnicity, but foreign-born Hispanic women had lower MBD [e.g., –4.50%; 95% confidence interval (CI), –7.12 to –1.89 lower percent density in foreign- vs. U.S.-born Hispanic women]. Lower linguistic acculturation and lower percent of life spent in the United States were also associated with lower MBD [e.g., monolingual Spanish and bilingual vs. monolingual English speakers, respectively, had 5.09% (95% CI, –8.33 to –1.85) and 3.34% (95% CI, –6.57 to –0.12) lower percent density]. Adjusting for risk factors (e.g., childhood body size, parity) attenuated some of these associations.

Conclusions: Hispanic women predominantly born in Caribbean countries have lower MBD than U.S.-born women of diverse ethnic backgrounds, including U.S.-born Hispanic women of Caribbean heritage.

Impact: MBD may provide insight into mechanisms driving geographic and migration variations in breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(5); 566–74. ©2018 AACR.

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