title: The association between adiposity and breast cancer recurrence and survival: A review of the recent literature.
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 in 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1824 6th Avenue, 310B Wallace Tumor Institute, Birmingham, AL 35294.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azrad
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1824 6th Avenue, 310B Wallace Tumor Institute, Birmingham, AL 35294 ; UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue, 310D Wallace Tumor Institute, Birmingham, AL 35294.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demark-Wahnefried
keywords: HOMA; adiposity; aromatase; aromatase inhibitor; body fat; body mass index; body weight; breast neoplasms; c-peptide; estrogen; estrogen-receptor positive; glucose; glucose metabolism; hormone-receptor positive; hormones; insulin; metabolic syndrome; mortality; obesity; overweight; recurrence; survival; type 2 diabetes