Role of body composition and visceral adiposity index in breast cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer and obesity are two diseases that currently occur in a high percentage of women population. Central obesity is an important risk factor for developing breast cancer. Both obesity and cancer are characterized by a chronic state of inflammation in part maintained by cytokines secreted by fat tissue; however, it is not clearly known how they are linked to each other. The aim of this study was to compare body composition and visceral adiposity index (VAI) between women with and without breast cancer. The participants included women 40–60 years old, with stages I and II of breast cancer, who voluntarily accepted to participate in the study. The control group comprised women with BIRADS 1, 2 and 3 mammograms, and the same age span. General sociodemographic data, hereditary family history of breast cancer, gyneco‐obstetric history and histopathological classification of breast cancer were recorded for each participant. Additionally, body composition was evaluated with electrical bioimpedance using an InBody230 equipment. In order to compute the VAI, concentrations of triacylglycerols and high‐density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL‐c) were measured by colorimetric tests. Data were analyzed using Mann‐Whitney test. The results showed that women with breast cancer presented a higher mean of body mass index (BMI) than the control group (30.4 ± 3.8 Kg/m2 vs 26.5 ± 2.6 Kg/m2, respectively); but these were not significant different (p=.99). The VAI in women with breast cancer was 4.5 ± 0.8, but in the control group was 3.9 ± 0.5; however they were not significantly different. In summary, women with breast cancer showed a higher BMI and VAI, which suggests these markers of obesity might be useful in the diagnostics procedures for this type of cancer, but further analysis in a bigger population is required.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.