Summary
The relationship between obesity and breast cancer has been investigated in 1281 Auckland breast cancer patients. Using a definition of obesity as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥ 28 kg/m2, 179 (14%) breast cancer patients were classified as obese. The heights, weights, and BMI of 822 breast cancer patients aged 35–64 compared to 518 randomly selected Auckland women of similar age showed no significant difference. Within the breast cancer patients, there was no variation in nodal status or estrogen and progesterone receptor status between obese and non-obese women. However, tumours > 5 cm occurred significantly more often in obese patients. Time to recurrence was reduced in obese women with tumours ≤ 5 cm, no tumour in the axillary nodes, positive estrogen or progesterone receptor, and without metastases at the time of presentation of the disease. Although obesity has not been shown to influence breast cancer incidence, an effect on tumour recurrence is seen in patients with less advanced disease. This is similar to other reports which suggest that obesity is a weak but positive risk factor for recurrence.
References
Findlay F: New Zealand Health Statistics Report. Cancer Data 1984. Wellington: National Health Statistics Centre, Department of Health, 1984
De Waard F: Nutritional etiology of breast cancer: where are we now and where are we going? Nutr Cancer 4: 85–88, 1982
Kelsey JL, Fischer DB, Holford TR, Livolsl VA, Mostow ED, Goldenberg IS, White C: Exogenous estrogens and other factors in the epidemiology of breast cancer. J Nat Cancer Inst 67: 327–333, 1981
Willett WC, Browne ML, Bain C, Lipnick RJ, Stampfer MJ, Rosner B, Colditz GA, Hennekens CH, Speizer FE: Relative weight and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol 122: 731–741, 1985
De Waard F: Breast cancer incidence and nutritional status with particular reference to body weight and height. Cancer Res 35: 3351–3356, 1975
Wynder EL, MacCornack FA, Stellman SD: The epidemiology of breast cancer in 785 United States caucasian women. Cancer 41: 2341–2354, 1978
Adami HO, Rimsten A, Stenkvist B, Vegelius J: Influence of height, weight, and obesity on risk of breast cancer in an unselected Swedish population. Br J Cancer 36: 787–792, 1977
Donegan WL, Hartz AJ, Rimm AA: The association of body weight with recurrent cancer of the breast. Cancer 41: 1590–1594, 1978
Boyd NF, Campbell JE, Germanson T, Thomson DB, Sutherland DJ, Meakin JW: Body weight and prognosis in breast cancer. J Nat Cancer Inst 67: 785–789, 1981
Eberlein T, Simon R, Fisher S, Lippman ME: Height, weight, and risk of breast cancer relapse. Breast Cancer Res Treat 5: 81–86, 1985
Tartter PI, Papatestas AE, Ioannovich J, Mulvihill MN, Lesnick G, Aufses AH: Cholesterol and obesity as prognostic factors in breast cancer. Cancer 47: 2222–2227, 1981
Mason BH, Holdaway IM, Mullins PR, Yee LH, Kay RG: Progesterone and estrogen receptors as prognostic variables in breast cancer. Cancer Res 43: 2985–2990, 1983
Stewart AL: The reliability and validity of self-reported weight and height. J Chronic Dis 35: 295–309, 1982
Khosla T, Lowe CR: Indices of obesity derived from body weight and height. Br J Prev Soc Med 21: 121–126, 1967
Jackson R, Beaglehole R, Stewart A, Stokes Y: Serum lipids, body mass, and exercise levels in Auckland 1982. NZ Med J 99: 97–100, 1986
Kaplan EL, Meier P: Non parametric estimation from incomplete observations. J Am Stat Assoc 49: 457–481, 1958
Cox DR: Regression models and life tables (with discussion). J Roy Stat Soc B34: 187–220, 1972
Holdaway IM, Mountjoy KG, Harvey VJ, Allen EP, Stephens EJ: Clinical applications of receptor measurements in breast cancer. Br J Cancer 41: 136–139, 1981
Lubin F, Ruder AM, Wax Y, Modan B: Overweight and changes in weight throughout adult life in breast cancer etiology. Am J Epidemiol 122: 579–588, 1985
Mason BH, Holdaway IM, Yee L, Kay RG: Lack of association between weight and oestrogen receptors in women with breast cancer. J Surg Oncol 19: 62–64, 1982
Kopelman PG, White N, Pilkington TRE, Jeffcoate SL: Impaired hypothalamic control of prolactin secretion in obesity. Lancet 1: 747–749, 1979
Lipsett MB: Carcinogenesis of endocrine-related human cancers: interactions of diet and nutrition with the endocrine system. In: Arnott MS, van Eys J, Wang Y-M (eds): Molecular interrelations of nutrition and cancer. Raven Press, New York, 1982, pp 61–69
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McNee, R.K., Mason, B.H., Neave, L.M. et al. Influence of height, weight, and obesity on breast cancer incidence and recurrence in Auckland, New Zealand. Breast Cancer Res Tr 9, 145–150 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01807367
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01807367