Weight gain linked to breast cancer risk

Bethesda, Md. -- Women who maintain their weight throughout their adult life have a lowered risk of breast cancer than if they gain weight while adults, a U.S. study found.

Jiyoung Ahn of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues analyzed data from 99,039 postmenopausal women.

In 1996, the women reported their current body measurements and weight, plus their weight at ages 18, 35 and 50 and using body mass index the women were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. By the end of 2000, 2,111 of the women developed breast cancer.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that in women who did not take menopausal hormone therapy, gaining weight in the early reproductive years (ages 18 to 35), late reproductive years (ages 35 to 50) and perimenopausal and postmenopausal years (ages 50 and up) were each associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer compared with maintaining a stable weight during those periods.

Women who were not obese or overweight at age 18 but were at ages 35 and 50 had 1.4 times the risk of developing breast cancer compared with women who maintained a normal weight.

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