TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of Obesity on Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
AU - Lee, Kyuwan
AU - Kruper, Laura
AU - Dieli-Conwright, Christina M.
AU - Mortimer, Joanne E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - Purpose of Review: Obesity is a recognized risk factor for the development of breast cancer and recurrence even when patients are treated appropriately. We reviewed the literature that addresses the impact of obesity on diagnosis and the individual therapeutic interventions, and present a summary of the findings. Recent Findings: Compared to non-obese women with breast cancer, obese women with breast cancer have a worse disease-free and overall survival despite appropriate local and systemic therapies. In brief, obese breast cancer patients experience more complications related to surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Further, obese patients are at increased risk for local recurrence compared to normal-weight women. Similarly, systemic chemotherapy is less effective, even when dosed appropriately on the basis of actual weight. Overall, endocrine therapy is less effective in obese women, and there is a suggestion that aromatase inhibitors may be selectively less effective than tamoxifen. Obese women are less likely to undergo breast reconstruction than normal-weight women, and those who do have surgery experience more surgical complications. Summary: The efficacy of cancer treatments is significantly lower in obese breast cancer survivors, posing greater challenges in patient care and disease management in this patient population. Further investigations are warranted to assess the effects on treatment outcomes and optimize therapeutic mechanisms in order to successfully target breast cancer associated with obesity.
AB - Purpose of Review: Obesity is a recognized risk factor for the development of breast cancer and recurrence even when patients are treated appropriately. We reviewed the literature that addresses the impact of obesity on diagnosis and the individual therapeutic interventions, and present a summary of the findings. Recent Findings: Compared to non-obese women with breast cancer, obese women with breast cancer have a worse disease-free and overall survival despite appropriate local and systemic therapies. In brief, obese breast cancer patients experience more complications related to surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Further, obese patients are at increased risk for local recurrence compared to normal-weight women. Similarly, systemic chemotherapy is less effective, even when dosed appropriately on the basis of actual weight. Overall, endocrine therapy is less effective in obese women, and there is a suggestion that aromatase inhibitors may be selectively less effective than tamoxifen. Obese women are less likely to undergo breast reconstruction than normal-weight women, and those who do have surgery experience more surgical complications. Summary: The efficacy of cancer treatments is significantly lower in obese breast cancer survivors, posing greater challenges in patient care and disease management in this patient population. Further investigations are warranted to assess the effects on treatment outcomes and optimize therapeutic mechanisms in order to successfully target breast cancer associated with obesity.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Clinical outcomes
KW - Diagnosis
KW - Obesity
KW - Treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063638498&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11912-019-0787-1
DO - 10.1007/s11912-019-0787-1
M3 - Review article
C2 - 30919143
AN - SCOPUS:85063638498
SN - 1523-3790
VL - 21
JO - Current Oncology Reports
JF - Current Oncology Reports
IS - 5
M1 - 41
ER -