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The Association Between Adiposity and Breast Cancer Recurrence and Survival: A Review of the Recent Literature

  • Cancer (MF Leitzmann, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common and second deadliest malignancy among American women. Many factors contribute to BC prognosis, but a key modifiable lifestyle factor is body weight. In this review, we update the reader on the association between adiposity and poor BC outcomes. We summarize the findings from studies that show obesity to be a risk factor for BC recurrence and reduced survival, including research that shows that treatment with aromatase inhibitors in hormone-receptor positive BC survivors who are obese may not be as effective as for normal-weight women. In addition, we summarize the findings from studies that show that obesity-induced changes in glucose metabolism, type-2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome contribute to negative outcomes in BC survivors. Given the evidence, there is a critical need to determine whether weight loss can improve outcomes in BC survivors.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

The authors are supported by the following grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH): R01CA148791, R25CA047888, and P30CA13148.

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Conflict of Interest

Maria Azrad and Wendy Demark-Wahnefried declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1824 6th Avenue, 310B Wallace Tumor Institute, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Maria Azrad & Wendy Demark-Wahnefried

  2. UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue, 310D Wallace Tumor Institute, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Wendy Demark-Wahnefried

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  1. Maria Azrad
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  2. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried
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Correspondence to Maria Azrad.

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Azrad, M., Demark-Wahnefried, W. The Association Between Adiposity and Breast Cancer Recurrence and Survival: A Review of the Recent Literature. Curr Nutr Rep 3, 9–15 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-013-0068-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-013-0068-9

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