By IANS
New York : Women who gain weight after being diagnosed with breast cancer could more than double their risk of dying from the disease.
The danger is 2.4 times higher for an obese woman than one of normal weight and rises 14 percent for extra weight gain, according to data presented Thursday at the American Association for Cancer Research’s conference in Philadelphia.
The new study involved 4,000 patients taking part in research started in 1988 in three American states by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Boston.
The researchers surveyed about post-diagnosis weight, weight gain, physical activity and diet of the patients and also identified 121 cases of breast cancer-related deaths, reported online edition of Daily Mail.
Using Body Mass Index – a measure of weight and height – the scientists found that the risk of dying from breast cancer was nearly 2.4 times that of women classified as having a normal body weight.
“Obesity was associated with risk of death even after accounting for age, menopausal status or smoking,” researcher Hazel Nichols said.
“Our findings provide additional support for the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight and exercising.”
Previous research showed weight gain at any stage can increase the risk of breast cancer by up to one and half times, but did not look at the risk of death.