Thaindian News

Washington, April 06 (ANI): Scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, have revealed that breast cancer survivors who experience large weight gain have an increased risk of death after diagnosis.

Breast cancer survivors who experienced large weight gain (10 percent or more over their pre-diagnosis weight) were 14 percent more likely to experience a cancer recurrence compared to women whose weight remained stable (within 5 percent of pre-diagnosis weight) following diagnosis.

“Most women are not gaining a large amount of weight following breast cancer diagnosis,” said lead researcher Bette Caan, a senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

“However, our analysis showed an association with poorer outcomes overall for those who do.”

She explained that moderate weight gain did not affect breast cancer outcomes.

“Women tend to worry about gaining weight after a breast cancer diagnosis,” said Caan.

“But it’s actually only the larger weight gains that increase the risk of poor outcomes,” added Caan.

Researchers also found that women who have large weight gains after diagnosis tend to be within normal weight ranges to begin with. In addition, the post-diagnosis effect of the weight gain tends to be greater for women who were originally thinner, they explained.

Women who were leaner to begin with at diagnosis (body mass index less than 25) and who later gained 10 percent or more, had a 25 percent higher risk of cancer death and also had a higher risk of recurrence compared to women whose weight remained stable (within 5 percent of pre-diagnosis weight) following diagnosis.

The study results are being presented at the American Association of Cancer Research 102nd meeting, to be held April 2-6 in Orlando, Fla. (ANI)