Weight Gain Linked to All Breast Cancer Types

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Gaining weight as an adult puts women at a greater risk of all types of breast cancer, according to new research.

The American Cancer Society study evaluated 1,200 invasive breast cancers among 44,161 postmenopausal women who were not taking hormone therapy. The link between weight gain and postmenopausal breast cancer is well established, but the effects on the specific types of breast cancer have not been studied until now.

The study reveals the greater the weight gain, the greater the risk for all types, stages and grades of breast cancer. Women who gained more than 60 pounds during adulthood were almost twice as likely to have ductal type tumors and more than 1.5-times more likely to have lobular type cancers than women who gained 20 pounds or less. All women who gained weight were more at risk for metastatic disease, with a greater than three-fold risk for women who gained over 60 pounds.

Researchers conclude, "These data further illustrate the relationship between adult weight gain and breast cancer and the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight throughout adulthood."

SOURCE: CANCER, published online May 22, 2006