Obesity and HER 2 overexpression: a common factor for poor prognosis of breast cancer
2008
Obesity and HER II Overexpression in Breast Cancer
Sample size: 100
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Sellahewa Chaminda, Nightingale Peter, Carmichael Amtul R
Primary Institution: Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, UK
Hypothesis
Obese women with breast cancer might over-express HER II more often than their lean counterparts to account for the poor prognosis.
Conclusion
The poor outcome of breast cancer in obese patients is not due to overexpression of HER II.
Supporting Evidence
- Obesity is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer.
- The study found no significant trend in HER II positivity across different BMI categories.
- There was no association between hormone receptor positivity and obesity or HER II overexpression.
Takeaway
This study found that being overweight doesn't mean breast cancer is worse because of a specific protein called HER II.
Methodology
The study correlated body mass index with HER II overexpression in 100 consecutive patients.
Limitations
The study is small-scale and warrants larger scale research.
Participant Demographics
Women with breast cancer, both premenopausal and post-menopausal.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.21
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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