The Association Between Body Size and Breast Cancer in Han Women in Northern and Eastern China

Abstract

Introduction: Although obesity has been reported worldwide as a risk factor for breast cancer, there are still some inconsistencies regarding the association between obesity and breast cancer. Body mass index (BMI) is used most to assess the extent of obesity; however, the association of other body size characteristics, such as waist and hip circumference, with susceptibility to breast cancer in Chinese Han women needs to be better assessed.

Patients and methods: Female Chinese Han patients (N = 2,800) were recruited from 21 hospitals in northern and eastern China from April 2012 to April 2013 for a case-control study. The significant differences of factors related to body size between the breast-cancer case and control groups were determined by Student's t test and chi-square tests.

Results: Premenopausal women with breast cancer had higher BMI and larger waist and hip circumferences (p = 2 × 10-4, <1 × 10-6, and 2 × 10-5, respectively). However, these body-size factors were not associated with postmenopausal breast cancer (p = .45, 0.32, and 0.12, respectively). BMI between 28 and 30 kg/m2 or greater than 32 kg/m2 was related to breast cancer incidence in the overall study population and in premenopausal women but not in the postmenopausal group.

Conclusion: Obesity is significantly associated with breast cancer in Chinese Han premenopausal women but not in postmenopausal women. Thus, it is important to realize that weight control, as well as avoiding abdominal obesity, should be considered as one of the most effective methods of reducing breast cancer risk.

Implications for practice: To better understand the characteristics and risk factors for breast cancer in Han women in northern and eastern China, a case-control study of 2,800 Chinese Han women was conducted. Obesity was significantly associated with breast cancer in Chinese Han premenopausal women but not in postmenopausal women. Consequently, controlling body weight and avoiding abdominal obesity should be considered as one of the most effective methods of reducing breast cancer susceptibility. However, the diversity between this study's finding among Chinese Han women and other data previously reported among European and American populations still needs further investigation.

Keywords: Body mass index; Breast cancer; Chinese Han population; Menopause.

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures of potential conflicts of interest may be found at the end of this article.

©AlphaMed Press.

Figures

Figure 1.

Association between body mass index (BMI) and odds ratio of breast cancer between case and control groups by menopause status. Odds ratios of different BMI ranges between case and control groups are shown as blue dots, and show a tortuous increase in BMI interposed between the trend lines of premenopausal (red triangles) and postmenopausal breast cancer odds ratios (purple squares). I- or T-shaped bars represent 95% confidence intervals. ∗, BMI ranges significantly associated with increasing breast cancer risk.