If overweight and obesity are now widely confirmed as major risk factors for certain cancers, including breast cancer, this study from the Hope Medical Center (California), presented in the journal Cancer, confirms that, on the contrary, weight loss also reduces the risk of breast cancer. Observational results obtained in postmenopausal women confirm, in the journal Cancer, previous studies suggesting that changes in diet – and therefore in body weight – could help reduce the risk.
Even modest weight loss associated with 12% risk reduction: Study of 61,335 postmenopausal women participating in World Health Initiative observational study finds participants who lost weight are at lower risk higher risk of developing invasive breast cancer than those who maintain their weight or gain weight. During a mean follow-up of 11.4 years,
- 3,061 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed;
- women who have lost weight (at least 5% of body weight) have a 12% reduced risk of breast cancer compared to women of stable weight;
- a weight gain of about 5% is not found to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer but with a 54% higher incidence of triple-negative breast cancer.
Lead author Dr. Rowan Chlebowski points out that his findings, which provide hope that even moderate weight reduction can lead to a statistically significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, are in line with those of previous research .
He advises postmenopausal women, the target of the study, to adopt a diet low in fat, and to follow, in the event of overweight, even a modest weight loss program.
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