Association between high body mass index and prognosis of patients with early-stage breast cancer: A systematic...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• High body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for breast cancer survivors.
• The impact of elevated BMI on the prognosis of early-stage breast cancer (EBC) requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between high BMI and the prognosis of patients diagnosed with EBC.
• To determine if overweight and obesity status influences disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in EBC patients.

Main Methods:

• A systematic meta-analysis was conducted using data from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to November 2021.
• Twenty retrospective cohort studies involving 33,836 EBC patients were analyzed.
• Fixed- and random-effects models were employed to calculate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for DFS and OS.

Main Results:

• Overweight patients demonstrated significantly worse DFS (HR: 1.16) and OS (HR: 1.20).
• Obesity was associated with poorer DFS (HR: 1.17) and OS (HR: 1.30).
• High BMI overall correlated with reduced DFS (HR: 1.16) and OS (HR: 1.25).

Conclusions:

• Increased body weight, including overweight and obesity, is associated with worse DFS and OS in EBC patients.
• These findings underscore the importance of weight management in EBC patient care and prevention strategies.