Prospective analysis of sleep characteristics, chronotype, and risk of breast cancer in the california teachers study

Purpose: Poor sleep quality and evening chronotype were associated with increased risk of breast cancer in a previous retrospective study in the California Teachers Study (CTS). The present analysis examines these sleep factors prospectively in the same cohort of women.

Methods: From the CTS, we included 1,085 incident breast cancer cases and 38,470 cancer-free participants from 2012 through 2019. We calculated time at risk and used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and control for risk factors such as age, race, body mass index, family history of breast cancer, and reproductive history. The sleep factors examined were quality, latency, duration, disturbance, and sleep medication use, based on a shortened version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, as well as chronotype (preference for morning or evening activity). This analysis was limited to women who were post-menopausal at the time they answered these sleep-related questions.

Results: Measures of sleep quality did not appear to be associated with subsequent breast cancer risk. The HR for evening chronotypes compared to morning chronotypes was somewhat elevated (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04, 1.36).

Conclusion: While the measures of sleep quality and duration were not associated with post-menopausal breast cancer risk in this prospective analysis, the modestly elevated risk observed for evening chronotypes was consistent with the prior retrospective analysis.