Breast Cancer Survival Less Likely for Obese or Overweight Women

A recent study presented at the 93^rd annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Boston has found that obese and overweight women have a lesser chance of surviving breast cancer that is estrogen receptor-positive, in which estrogen fuels the progression of the cancer.

The analysis included roughly 4,000 women from a separate study who had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1995 and 2006. Researchers found that for women who were obese at the time of their diagnosis, meaning they had a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, the risk of dying from breast cancer was almost 70 percent higher than that of normal weight women. For women who were considered overweight when diagnosed, meaning they had a BMI of 25 to 29, the increased risk of not surviving their cancer was the same as that of obese women.

Researchers found that a possible cause for this drop in the rate of breast cancer survival is that in overweight and obese women, the levels of estrogen in the blood are higher. For this reason, overweight and obese women should perform self breast exams regularly, and their doctors should screen them accordingly to catch any early signs of breast cancer.

If you or a loved one has breast cancer malpractice questions in New York City or Long Island, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today. Our experienced malpractice attorneys have handled many cases involving delays in diagnosing and treating breast cancer. Call our New York City medical malpractice lawyers today for a free consultation.

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