Heavy Women May Be More Likely to See Breast Cancer Recur

Overweight and obese women may have a tougher battle in store when it comes to breast cancer: a new study published in the journal Cancer finds that carrying extra pounds is linked with a higher risk of cancer recurrence and death.

Previous studies have linked obesity with breast cancer recurrence, but the new study is among the first to find the same trend even among women who are overweight but not obese. The researchers found that having higher body mass index increased women’s risk of breast cancer recurrence and death, even if they had state-of-the-art treatment like chemotherapy and hormonal therapy.
“We found that obesity at diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with about a 30 percent higher risk of recurrence and a nearly 50 percent higher risk of death despite optimal treatment,” said lead study author Dr. Joseph Sparano of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Montefiore Medical Center, in New York City, in a statement.
(MORE: Good News for Women With Dense Breasts: No Higher Risk of Breast Cancer Death)

                                                                           COURTESY--TIME