Obesity linked to increased breast cancer risk–if you have certain hormone receptors

It’s pretty common knowledge that obesity increases the chance that a woman will develop breast cancer, and how her excess adiposity is distributed on her body can be a clue to her risk.

[In a new study] investigators examined the association between body size-related characteristics such as body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratios (WHR) and breast cancer risk for women with different hormone receptor status. They found that both BMI (as an index of overall obesity) and WHR had a positive association with risk of breast cancer. However, depending on the hormone status, the relationship between size indicators and breast cancer risk varied.

There was a significant association between BMI and risk of breast cancer — but only for women whose tumors were ER+/PR+, and for premenopausal women.

Mechanisms responsible for the differences in the effects of overall and central obesity are not clear, the authors stated. They did note that the type of obesity a woman presents with may provide a clue to the type of treatment that would be appropriate — which could differ with respect to the receptor status and menopausal status of the woman.

[Read the full study]

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Hormone Receptor Status And Obesity Affect Risk Of Breast Cancer

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