Reproductive factors and risk of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas among women in Los Angeles

Unrestricted Study Aim: Reproductive patterns have been inconsistently linked to NHL risk. The aim of this study is to identify if these factors affect B-cell NHL risk among women. Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study in Los Angeles County. A total of 555 histologically confirmed B-cell NHL patients and 555 individually matched control subjects were included. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate these associations. Results: Reproductive history factors such as gravidity, parity, and outcome of first pregnancy were not associated with B-cell NHL risk overall or any NHL subtype. A modest association was observed for use of lactation suppressants (OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.56-1.08). The use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy increased the risk of B-cell NHL (OR=2.10, 95% CI=0.71-6.23). Conclusion: Reproductive factors were not associated with the risk of B-cell NHL overall or any subtype. Future studies with greater numbers of NHL subtypes are needed to confirm our study results.