[Relationship between obesity and prognosis in operated breast cancer (author's transl)]

Correlations between obesity and prognosis of operated cancer of the breast have not been investigated until now. In 491 patients operated upon by radical mastectomy (1968 to 1972) it can be demonstrated that in patients in whom the weight of the resected breast is above 1100 g the survival rates are more unfavourable than in other cases. As to tumor size and invasion of lymphnodes the distribution in the group with "heavy breasts" is more unfavourable than in the other groups. The causes of the differences in survival may be attributed to worsened conditions for detection of cancer in cases with large breasts as well as to alterations of hormone production and metabolism in connection with nutritional factors.