A new editorial was published in  Oncoscience (Volume 11)  on September 23, 2024, entitled, “ The challenge of weight gain in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer .” 

As introduced in this editorial, obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Women with obesity are also twice as likely to die from breast cancer compared to those without.

There are also persistent health disparities in breast cancer and obesity trends.

Among women with early-stage breast cancer, Black women experience higher rates of obesity and obesity-related comorbidities (such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes) compared to White women.

Black women also have a 40% higher breast cancer mortality rate compared to White women, and more than double the mortality rate of their Asian/Pacific Islander counterparts.

Researchers Terrence C.Tsou, Avonne Connor, and Jennifer Y.Sheng from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focused on characterising changes in body mass index (BMI) over time among early-stage breast cancer survivors with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. A secondary goal was to determine whether an interaction between race and BMI existed that could predict recurrence.

Their study highlighted patterns of weight gain among early-stage HR+ breast cancer, particularly among those who had a healthy BMI or were overweight at the time of diagnosis.

“As we assess the impact of excess adiposity on the outcomes of patients with HR+ breast cancer, topics regarding obesity treatment and definitions of obesity warrant further consideration.”

Source: Impact Journals LLC