Lifecourse genome-wide association study meta-analysis refines the critical life stages for adiposity’s influence on breast cancer risk

Science Advances 2026 Open access

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Authors: Grace M. Power, Laxmi Bhatta, Amanda Hughes, Carolina Medina-Gomez, Anne Richmond, Genevieve M Leyden, Bethan Lloyd‐Lewis, Eleanor Sanderson, Rebecca Richmond, Elizabeth C. Corfield, Daniel McCartney, Caroline Hayward
+8 more Irene Fontes Marques, Fernando Rivadeneira, Bjørn Olav Åsvold, Gibran Hemani, J. Felix, Ben Brumpton, A. Havdahl, George Davey Smith
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady0374
Cited by: 3
References: 99

Abstract

Previous evidence suggests that higher prepubertal adiposity protects against breast cancer risk. Whether this protection extends into early adulthood remains uncertain. We conducted genome-wide association studies on body mass index (BMI) in nulliparous women from menarche to

Fields of Study & Subjects

Cancer Risks and Factors Birth Development and Health Genetic Associations and Epidemiology

Publication details

Journal / source
Science Advances
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Volume
12
Issue
4
Pages
eady0374–eady0374
Publication date
21 January 2026
Language
EN