RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Breast cancer patients who are obese or even just overweight may have a higher risk of recurrence of the most common type of the disease.
Researchers at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care studied close to 5,000 women. Patients who were obese had about a 30% higher risk of having a recurrence of their breast cancer and 50% higher risk of dying from their breast cancer.
Researchers suspect hormones, higher insulin levels and inflammation, which are associated with extra body fat, could play a role in driving cancer growth.
Experts say the findings suggest extra body fat causes hormonal changes and inflammation, which could drive some cancers, but more study is needed to confirm the link.