ABSTRACT
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................405 Obesity and Breast Cancer Prognosis ..........................................................................................406 Weight Gain after Breast Cancer Diagnosis ................................................................................424 Pathophysiology of Adverse Prognostic Effects of Obesity ........................................................426 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................428 References .....................................................................................................................................429
Energy balance, as reflected by body size, has received considerable attention as a potential prognostic factor in breast cancer. In 1976, Abe [1] first reported an association of obesity with poor outcome in early stage breast cancer. As of early 2004, over 50 studies [1-51] examining this association had been published (a smaller body of research has investigated body size in metastatic breast cancer). The majority of the studies in locoregional breast cancer have identified an adverse prognostic effect of obesity, leading to a growing consensus that obesity is a significant and independent adverse prognostic factor in breast cancer. One recent review [52] concluded that “the current evidence relating increased body weight to breast cancer outcome and the documented favorable effects of weight loss on clinical outcome in other comorbid conditions support consideration of programs for weight loss in breast cancer patients.” Thus, there is interest in the development of weight loss programs targeting women with breast cancer and, more importantly, in studying the effect of such programs on the outcomes of these women.
