Obese women 'have increased risk of aggressive breast cancer'

Daily Mail UK

More than 44,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer every year

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Women who are overweight or have high blood sugar could be more at risk of developing aggressive breast cancer, research said today.

A new study is believed to be the first to look at how excess body fat and blood sugar levels affect the chance of developing different types of tumours.

It found women had decreased risk of low-risk breast cancer if they were overweight or suffered high blood sugar (insulin resistance), but were at higher risk of more aggressive tumours.

Experts at Umea University in Sweden carried out the study, which was funded by the World Cancer Research Fund and is published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

They looked at blood samples and other measurements including body mass index (BMI) taken from more than 1,000 women.

Of the group, 561 women had been diagnosed with breast cancer while 561 remained free of the disease and acted as a control.

The women were aged 52 on average at the point of recruitment and the average time to diagnosis was 4.4 years.

The experts pointed to previous studies which show that obesity in both pre- and post-menopausal women is associated with advanced cancer at diagnosis.

Tanja Stocks, lead author on the study, said: "These results are very interesting and the difference in risks of tumours may be down to the oestrogen and insulin levels.

"We believe this is the first study to find a link between blood sugar levels and the type of tumour.

"Hopefully now this will lead to more work on how things like body fat and blood sugar levels affect the type of tumour that develops, as well as a person's overall cancer risk."

Professor Martin Wiseman, scientific and medical advisor to the WCRF, said: "This study reminds us that being overweight increases risk of breast cancer as well as several other cancers.

"But it also places high blood sugar levels in the frame as one way that this happens.

"If people want to keep their blood sugar levels low, one of the best things they can do is avoid being overweight."

Experts have warned that 60 per cent of UK adults will be overweight or obese by the year 2050 if action is not taken to tackle rising rates.

Dr Sarah Cant, policy manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "We already know that being obese after the menopause increases the risk of developing breast cancer but this research is the first to suggest being overweight and having high blood sugar levels may affect the stage of breast cancer at diagnosis.

"However, larger studies are now needed to investigate these findings and confirm the results."

She said the charity recommended women maintain a healthy weight throughout life through a balanced diet and regular exercise.

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