AACR: Gain in BMI associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer
April 28, 2010
A gain in BMI of five points or more between age 20 and postmenopausal age appears to double the risk of developing postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women who maintained the same BMI during that time, according to a recent analysis of data from over 72,000 women presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The increased risk was not limited to women in a particular category of BMI at age 20. Investigators found the strongest associations between BMI, BMI gain and breast cancer risk among women who had never used hormone replacement therapy. The women are taking part in the NCI's Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO).
Citations
Sue LY, Genkinger JM, Schairer C, Ziegler RG. Body mass (BMI), change in BMI, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) Cohort. Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research 2010; abstract 4823.
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