Weight Gain Increases Breast Cancer Risk
Kroenke CH, Chen WY, Rosner B, Holmes MD. Weight, Weight Gain, and Survival After Breast Cancer Diagnosis. J Clin Oncol. 2005 Jan 31; [Epub ahead of print] |
COMMENTS:
The recurrences were strongest in women who had not yet had the menopause.
There are two other interesting points in this study:
- Firstly, in trying to explain a possible relationship between overweight and increased risk, the researchers suggest thatobesity may promote cancer by raising the body's levels of sex hormones such as oestrogen, particularly in postmenopausal patients. But there might be another explanation: Weight gain is caused by a diet based on carbohydrates – starchy foods and '5 portions of fruit' etc. These foods also compromise our immune system, which reduces the body's ability to fight cancer.
- It's also noticeable that, in this study, women who had never smoked were at greater risk than smokers. I remember some years ago a study finding that, while drinking alcohol increased breast cancer risk, smoking reduced it. Although I cannot find the reference for this now, this latest study does seem to confirm the earlier one.
Last updated 5 February 2005
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