Abstract
Purpose
Obesity and weight gain after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis can affect cancer outcomes. This study explores the question of weight change during the first 2 years of endocrine treatment (ET) to identify the independent effects of BC diagnosis and treatment on post-diagnosis weight trajectories in early-stage postmenopausal BC survivors.
Methods
The study design is a retrospective chart review. Chi square tests and ANOVA were used to compare patients who gained >2 kg, lost >2 kg, or had stable weight. Log-binomial regression models were used to evaluate associations between patient characteristics and weight trajectories.
Results
The final sample is N = 300, with mean age at BC diagnosis of 65 years and 76% white. After 2 years of ET, 39% of study participants had gained >2 kg, 27% had lost >2 kg, and 34% had stable weight. Relative risks (RR) for weight gain were as follows: age at diagnosis = 0.98 (0.96, 0.99), being married = 1.48 (1.04, 2.12), weight change between BC diagnosis and start of ET = 0.98 (0.97, 0.99), Stage II = 1.42 (1.01, 2.01) or Stage III = 1.99 (1.41, 2.82), PR negative = 0.70 (0.51, 0.96), HER2 positive = 1.51 (1.07, 2.13), mastectomy = 1.49 (1.12, 1.98), axillary node dissection = 1.67 (1.27, 2.20), adjuvant chemotherapy = 1.49 (1.02, 2.19), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy = 2.29 (1.67, 3.14). Type of ET (tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor) was not significant.
Conclusions
In our sample of postmenopausal early-stage BC survivors, a majority had stable or lost weight during the first 2 years of ET. Higher disease complexity and associated treatment posed higher RR for weight gain.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of New York and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Cancer Research Fund. Dr. Shachar’s fellowship at UNC was supported by the Friends of Rambam Medical Center and The J&G Zukier Medical Fund Donation, Haifa, Israel.
Funding
This study was funded in part by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of New York, and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Cancer Research Fund.
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The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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This study did not entail direct contact with humans and therefore did not entail obtaining informed consent.
Additional information
The abstract for this study was accepted for publication, 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.
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Nyrop, K.A., Deal, A.M., Lee, J.T. et al. Weight changes in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors over 2 years of endocrine therapy: a retrospective chart review. Breast Cancer Res Treat 162, 375–388 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-017-4106-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-017-4106-y