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Editorials |

Weight and Risk for Breast Cancer

Jennifer L. Kelsey, PhD; John Baron, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprints: Jennifer L. Kelsey, PhD, Section of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Dartmouth Medical School, 1 Medical Center Dr, 7927 Rubin Bldg, Lebanon, NH 03756.


From the Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif (Dr Kelsey), and the Departments of Community and Family Medicine (Drs Kelsey and Baron) and Medicine (Dr Baron), Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH.


JAMA. 1997;278(17):1448-1449. doi:10.1001/jama.1997.03550170078037
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For many years it has been accepted that heavy body weight increases a woman's risk for breast cancer. Since weight is one of the few potentially modifiable risk factors for breast cancer identified to date, understanding the relationship between weight and breast cancer is of considerable importance. However, as Huang et al1 state in the first sentence of their article in this issue of JAMA, "The relation of body weight to breast cancer is complex."

See also p 1407.

One of the first complexities to be recognized was that the association between heavy weight and breast cancer applies to postmenopausal women but not to premenopausal women.2 This finding makes sense if, as is commonly believed, estrogens and possibly progesterone are important in the etiology of breast cancer.3 Among premenopausal women, most studies have noted that heavy women have a somewhat reduced risk for breast cancer.4 Recent

REFERENCES

Huang Z. Hankinson SE, Colditz GA, et al.  Dual effects of weight and weight gain on breast cancer risk . JAMA . 1997;;278:1407-1411.
Kelsey JL.  A review of the epidemiology of human breast cancer . Epidemiol Rev . 1979;;1:74-109.
Pike MC, Spicer DV, Dahmoush L, Press MF.  Estrogens, progestogens, normal breast cell proliferation, and breast cancer risk . Epidemiol Rev . 1993;;15:17-35.
Ursin G, Longnecker MP, Haile RW, Greenland S.  A meta-analysis of body mass index and risk of premenopausal breast cancer . Epidemiology . 1995;;6:137-141.
Potischman N, Swanson CA, Siiteri P, Hoover RN.  Reversal of relation between body mass and endogenous estrogen concentrations with menopausal status . J Natl Cancer Inst . 1996;;88:756-758.
Cummings SR, Nevitt MC, Browner WS, et al.  Risk factors for hip fracture in white women . N Engl J Med . 1995;;332:767-773.
Lee I-M, Paffenbarger RS.  Change in body weight and longevity . JAMA . 1992;; 268:2045-2049.
Hamm P, Shekelle RB, Stamler J.  Large fluctuations in body weight during young adulthood and twenty-five year risk of coronary death in men . Am J Epidemiol . 1989;; 129:312-318.
Gammon MD, Britton JB, Teitelbaum ST.  Does physical activity reduce the risk of breast cancer? review of the epidemiologic evidence . Menopause . 1996;;3:172-180.
Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hennekens CH, Rosner R, Speizer FE.  Prospective study of estrogen replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women . JAMA . 1990;;264:2648-2653.

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Huang Z. Hankinson SE, Colditz GA, et al.  Dual effects of weight and weight gain on breast cancer risk . JAMA . 1997;;278:1407-1411.
Kelsey JL.  A review of the epidemiology of human breast cancer . Epidemiol Rev . 1979;;1:74-109.
Pike MC, Spicer DV, Dahmoush L, Press MF.  Estrogens, progestogens, normal breast cell proliferation, and breast cancer risk . Epidemiol Rev . 1993;;15:17-35.
Ursin G, Longnecker MP, Haile RW, Greenland S.  A meta-analysis of body mass index and risk of premenopausal breast cancer . Epidemiology . 1995;;6:137-141.
Potischman N, Swanson CA, Siiteri P, Hoover RN.  Reversal of relation between body mass and endogenous estrogen concentrations with menopausal status . J Natl Cancer Inst . 1996;;88:756-758.
Cummings SR, Nevitt MC, Browner WS, et al.  Risk factors for hip fracture in white women . N Engl J Med . 1995;;332:767-773.
Lee I-M, Paffenbarger RS.  Change in body weight and longevity . JAMA . 1992;; 268:2045-2049.
Hamm P, Shekelle RB, Stamler J.  Large fluctuations in body weight during young adulthood and twenty-five year risk of coronary death in men . Am J Epidemiol . 1989;; 129:312-318.
Gammon MD, Britton JB, Teitelbaum ST.  Does physical activity reduce the risk of breast cancer? review of the epidemiologic evidence . Menopause . 1996;;3:172-180.
Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hennekens CH, Rosner R, Speizer FE.  Prospective study of estrogen replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women . JAMA . 1990;;264:2648-2653.
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