Chris Mihill
OVERWEIGHT women have less chance of surviving breast cancer than thinner colleagues, researchers announced in the United Kingdom this week.
Scientists from the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) say a woman past menopause in the early stages of breast cancer has a better chance of survival if she weighs less than 60kg.
The study of 2 455 women with early breast cancer found that the heavier the women were at diagnosis, the poorer their chances. But the finding only applied to women past menopause, not to younger women.
Gordon McVie, director general of the CRC, said post-menopausal women who are fat have higher levels of circulating oestrogens – which are believed to promote the growth of breast tumours. Professor McVie said: “Obviously more research is needed in this area, but in the meantime this is yet another reason for women to avoid obesity.”
The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, was carried out by researchers from the CRC’s clinical trials centre in London, together with the Medical Research Council’s cancer trials office in Cambridge.
Data was collected on 1 475 post-menopausal women and 980 pre-menopausal women who were diagnosed with early breast cancer between 1970 and 1973. The women were followed for between 16 and 21 years.
Joan Houghton, one of the co-authors of the report, said: “This suggests that weight should be considered as an independent indicator of survival when researchers compare the treatments given to post- menopausal patients.”
The study found that women over 60kg had a 60% greater chance of dying over the follow-up period compared to those under 60kg.
“It is one more reason for women to maintain a weight that is sensible for their height and activity levels,” said Houghton.