Obese women should aware that they have not only the risk of breast cancer, but also more likely to have larger tumor when it detected at later stage.

In abstract, the researchers said in their investigation, fewer obese patients presented with breast cancer at younger ages and majority found the tumor in their cancer through mammography, rather than palpation (67% vs 56%).

Those study just presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of American Society of Breast Surgeons in Las Vegas.
The lead study, a surgical resident at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, Danielle Haakinson, MD, noted that obese women presented larger tumors once they were detected.

They found;
- 71% had tumors smaller than 2 cm in obese group,
- 79% had tumors 2 cm or less in size,
- in obese patients more likely to have lymph node metastases than non-obese patients (31% vs 25%).

Although there is no differences in adjuvant therapy, family history, recurrence, or tumor markers, however in obese patients, they tend to have a worse overall survival rate with hazard ratio of 1.53.

Commenting with this findings, Dr. Deanne Attai, MD, director of the Center for Breast Care, Inc, said, “this is just one more example of how obesity is a public health problem. We know that these patients are more at risk for stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and also now we see that they are at increased risk for breast cancer and that their tumors are larger.”

Based on their analysis, the researchers believe that obese women are less likely to perform usual health maintenance, including going to yearly health checkups. These failures in health maintenance also frequently include neglecting yearly mammograms. As it is more difficult to palpate a breast tumor in a larger women, this delay allows the tumor to get bigger before it’s detected.

In press release, Dr. Haakinson commented related to health maintenance issue that, “obese women simply are less likely to examine their breast or to examine them thoroughly, possibly because they are uncomfortable with their body image.” In this case she added, “physicians need to understand and encourage these women to be participants in their own healtcare. There is a risk out there of this group presenting late-stage tumors. By having their yearly mammograms and coming in for yearly checkups these women can put themselves in the driver’s seat in terms of protecting their own health.”

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