Effect of Obesity on Prognosis after Early Breast Cancer.

Abstract

The annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) is unmatched in its significance with regard to the advancement of breast cancer treatment. It is targeted by many members of the clinical research community as the optimal forum in which to unveil new clinical data. This creates an environment each year where published results from a plethora of ongoing clinical trials lead to the emergence of many new therapeutic agents and changes in the indications for existing treatments across all breast cancer subtypes. In order to offer optimal patient care-including the option of clinical trial participation-the practicing medical oncologist must be well informed of the rapidly evolving data sets in breast cancer. To bridge the gap between research and patient care, this CME activity will deliver a serial review of the most important emerging data sets from the latest SABCS meeting, including expert perspectives on how these new evidence-based concepts can be applied to routine clinical care. This activity will assist medical oncologists and other cancer clinicians in the formulation of optimal clinical management strategies for breast cancer. LEARNING OBJECTIVE • Evaluate the influence of obesity on the risk of recurrence and death from breast cancer following adjuvant therapy.

Statins: a role in breast cancer therapy?

“…Overweight/obesity is often associated with the metabolic syndrome and increases the risk of a number of diseases, including hypercholesterolemia and breast cancer . Not only does overweight/obesity influence breast cancer incidence , it also worsens prognosis following breast cancer . The epidemiological and clinically manifested linkage between overweight/obesity and breast cancer is increasingly clear , although important gaps exist in our knowledge.…”

The Living Well after Breast Cancer™ Pilot Trial: a weight loss intervention for women following treatment for breast cancer

“…With earlier detection and improved treatments, most women will survive breast cancer for at least 5 years . However, obesity (present in over 50% of breast cancer patients) is associated with poor health outcomes for women following a breast cancer diagnosis, including increased risk of recurrence, and disease‐specific and all‐cause mortality . Obesity may also increase the risk of treatment‐related side‐effects, which can persist for many years .…”

Protein Microarray Analysis of Mammary Epithelial Cells from Obese and Nonobese Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: Feasibility Data

“…Table 1B lists the characteristics of study subjects according to two BMI categories, non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m 2 ) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ). We have chosen the BMI cutoff of 30 because of well-established associations between poor prognosis and survival of women in the highest BMI categories (4). In the present study, the median BMI of obese women is 31.3 kg/m 2 , while the median BMI of non-obese women is 22.3 kg/m 2 .…”

“…Previous studies have shown an association between postmenopausal breast cancer risk and excessive body weight, and this association is increased in women with a positive family history of breast cancer (2–3). In addition, women with breast cancer have an increased risk of dying from breast cancer as well as an increased risk of distant metastasis in obese women (4–5). …”