- Childhood bereavement linked to higher odds of HER2 positive young-onset breast cancer (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.06–5.88).
- Reporting one adverse childhood experience versus none associated with increased odds of triple negative young-onset breast cancer (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.08–3.16).
- Path analyses showed ACEs had significant effects on luminal A and triple negative tumours; adiposity attenuated the effect only for luminal A.
Cancer Causes Control. 2026 May 26;37(6):97. doi: 10.1007/s10552-026-02171-y.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are hypothesized to increase breast cancer risk via social and physiological pathways, yet associations between ACEs and young-onset breast cancer (BC) subtypes-and potential mediators (e.g., adiposity) of these associations-are largely unstudied. We sought to evaluate associations between ACEs and young-onset BC molecular subtypes, and the potential mediating effects of adiposity, in a population-based case-control study of invasive young-onset BC.
METHODS: Cases (n = 1,754) were identified from the Los Angeles County and Metropolitan Detroit SEER registries, 2010-2015, and area-based, frequency-matched controls (n = 1,350) sampled from the 2010 Census. Associations between ACEs aged < 18 years and young-onset BC (diagnosed ages 20 to < 50 years), overall and by subtype (luminal A, luminal B, HER2 + , triple negative [TN]), were examined using weighted logistic regression. Adult adiposity (i.e., body mass index 12 months before diagnosis, waist circumference at interview) was evaluated as a mediator of these associations using weighted path analyses.
RESULTS: ACEs (≥ 1 vs 0) were not significantly associated with young-onset BC (all ptrend > 0.10); however, reporting one ACE (vs 0) was associated with TN (odds ratio [OR] = 1.85 [95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.08-3.16]). For individual ACEs, death of a loved one (vs 0 ACEs) was associated with HER2 + (OR = 2.50 [95%CI = 1.06-5.88]) and potentially TN (OR = 1.72 [95%CI = 0.96-3.10]) young-onset BC; other associations were non-significant. In path analyses, ACEs had a significant total effect on luminal A (β = 0.08, p = 0.03) and TN (β = 0.13, p < 0.01) tumors, with adiposity mitigating this association for luminal A tumors (β = -0.01, p = 0.04; TN β = 0.00, p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Bereavement during childhood was associated with higher odds of HER2 + young-onset BC, and there was some evidence of an association between ACEs and other young-onset BC subtypes, particularly TN.
PMID:42189276 | DOI:10.1007/s10552-026-02171-y
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