An examination of obesity and breast cancer survival in post-menopausal women

S_q A historical prospeti study was conducted at the Mercy Hospital of Pitsburgh, Pennsylvania(USA), to study the rok of post-menopausal obesity in the recmue = and survival of brast cancer. Recods from 301 post-menopusal women with breast cair fr 1977 to 1985 wer followed for at last 5 from data suppied by the Tumor Registry and medical records. Data col1ted i ded ae, heiht, weight, race, reptor status, stag and sizx of tumour, number of postive nodes, site of distant metastass, first course of teatment, and 5 year XecUr_es and survivaL Forty-five per cent of patiints were obese (n = 136), while 55 % wre non-obese (n = 165). Obesity was defined by the Quetelet index (patiets with values>27 were considere obese). The re mre rates for the obese and non-obese groups wer40!/. and 39!r/1 l, and we not ntl di Univariate and mulVaate analyses showed that ther was no sgnifant assolatin betwee obesity in post-menopausal women and lihdkehih of crrene of or death from brast caino. The adverse impact of excess body weight on general health and longevity is clearly recognised. The Framingham Heart Study, for example, is widely known for underscoring the adverse effects of obesity on patients with cardiovascular disease (Hubert et al., 1983). Another association, that between obesity and increased risk of breast cancer, was first pointed out by De Waard et al. (1964). Since then, numerous studies in different parts of the world have either confirmed the findings of De Waard et al. especialy with respect to post-menopausal women (Valaoras et al., 1969; MacMaho