Impact of Height and Weight on Breast Cancer Survival
Author Information
Author(s): S. Tretli, T. Haldorsen, L. Ottestad
Primary Institution: The Cancer Registry of Norway
Hypothesis
Does pre-morbid height and weight affect the survival of breast cancer patients?
Conclusion
Higher body mass is associated with increased mortality in early-stage breast cancer patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Overweight women in stage I had a 1.70 times higher death rate compared to those in the lowest weight quintile.
- Height was not found to be a prognostic factor for breast cancer survival.
- 66.6% of the patients were still alive after an average follow-up of 4.3 years.
Takeaway
If women with breast cancer are heavier before they get sick, they might not live as long, especially if they are diagnosed early.
Methodology
The study followed 8,427 women diagnosed with breast cancer, measuring their height and weight before diagnosis and analyzing survival rates over an average of 4.3 years.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in staging and diagnosis due to the influence of body weight on clinical assessments.
Limitations
The study may not account for all confounding factors affecting survival, and the height and weight measurements were taken years before diagnosis.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 30-69 years, with a total of 8,427 breast cancer cases analyzed.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.015
Confidence Interval
(1.05, 1.66)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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