Obesity hurts breast cancer chances

ODENSE, Denmark, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Obesity is linked with poorer breast cancer outcomes, Danish researchers found.

Dr. Marianne Ewertz of the Odense University Hospital in Denmark said breast cancer patients with a high body mass index -- a BMI of 25 or higher -- had an increased risk of dying of breast cancer.

Using the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group database, the researchers evaluated tumor size, malignancy grade, number of lymph nodes removed, estrogen receptor status and treatment regimen of almost 54,000 women.

Ewertz and colleagues calculated BMI for 35 percent of the women, whose information about height and weight was available. A healthy, normal BMI score is between 20 and 25, a score below the normal range indicates underweight and a score above indicates overweight, Ewertz said.

After 30 years of follow-up -- 1977-2006 -- the researchers found women with higher body mass index had more advanced disease at diagnosis and higher risk of distant metastases.

"Those who have a high body mass index should be encouraged to participate in mammography screening programs for prevention efforts," Ewertz said in a statement.

The findings were presented at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center, the American Association for Cancer Research and Baylor College of Medicine San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.