The recruitment questionnaire asked about various factors in a woman’s life that might be connected with risk of breast cancer. These include factors known to be associated with breast cancer, some suspected, and some that are included because they are frequently asked about by women, and give rise to anxiety without an established scientific basis.
The questions asked include ones such as how many children a woman has had, and when her pregnancies happened, whether and when she has reached menopause, family history of cancer, and whether she has had breast disease or other medical conditions. Questions were also asked, for instance, about work, diet, physical activity, smoking and drinking. Subsequent questionnaires ask about factors that can change over time to study how they can influence risk, as well as diagnosis of breast cancer or other diseases.