| This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. While viewing summary tables offers an informative glimpse at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations, they should be viewed with some caution. There are a number of concepts you must understand to be able to successfully read and interpret research tables. To get some background information about understanding research tables, please see How to Read a Research Table. |
Introduction: Many studies have linked weight gain in adulthood with an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. To date, the few studies that have addressed weight gain and premenopausal breast cancer have had conflicting results.
Find more information on the strengths and weaknesses of different types of studies.
See how this risk factor compares with other risk factors for breast cancer.
Study selection criteria: Major prospective cohort studies.
Table note: Relative risk above 1 indicates increased risk. Relative risk below 1 indicates decreased risk.
| |
Study
|
Study Population
(number of participants)
|
Follow-up
(years)
|
Time of Weight Gain
|
Categories of Weight Gain Compared
|
Relative Risk of Breast Cancer in Women Who Gained the Most Weight Compared to Women Who Gained the Least, by Menopausal Status, RR (95% CI)
|
Premenopausal
|
Postmenopausal
|
Prospective cohort studies
|
NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study [1]
|
99,039 |
4 |
From age 18 |
66-88 lbs. vs. little weight change (+/- 4.2 lbs.)
|
|
1.87 (1.29-2.72)*
|
| |
|
|
From age 50
|
66-88 lbs. vs. little weight change (+/- 4.2 lbs.)
|
|
1.89 (1.20-2.97)*
|
| |
|
|
Between ages 35 and 50
|
66-88 lbs. vs. little weight change (+/- 4.2 lbs.)
|
|
2.29 (1.51-3.46)*
|
EPIC cohort [2]
|
98,352
|
5.8
|
From age 20
|
>44 lbs. vs. little weight change (+/- 4.4 lbs.)
|
0.87 (0.51-1.49)
|
1.22 (0.96-1.56)†
|
Women's Health Initiative [3]
|
85,917
|
2.9
|
From age 18
|
BMI change <=0 vs. >9.7
|
|
1.92 (1.07-3.43)‡
|
Nurses' Health Study [4]
|
84,143
|
26
|
From age 18
|
11-22 lbs. vs. little weight change (<4.4 lbs. gain or loss)
|
|
1.15 (1.01-1.31)
|
|
|
|
|
22-44 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.15 (1.01-1.30)
|
|
|
|
|
44-55 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.21 (1.05-1.40)
|
|
|
|
|
>55 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.45 (1.27-1.66)§
|
|
49,514
|
24
|
From age at menopause
|
>=22 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.18 (1.03-1.35)
|
CPS-II [5]
|
65,756
|
7-9
|
From age 18
|
>=71 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
2.13 (1.50-3.01)‡
|
CPS-II [6]
|
44,161
postmenopausal women not taking hormone replacement therapy
|
9
|
From age 18
|
21-40 lbs. vs. 5-20 lbs.
|
|
Ductal carcinoma: 1.28 (1.08-1.53)
Lobular and mixed ductal/lobular carcinoma:
0.99 (0.70-1.39)
|
|
|
|
|
41-60 lbs. vs. 5-20 lbs.
|
|
Ductal carcinoma: 1.65 (1.37-2.00)
Lobular and mixed ductal/lobular carcinoma:
1.08 (0.73-1.61)
|
|
|
|
|
>=61 lbs. vs. 5-20 lbs.
|
|
Ductal carcinoma: 1.89 (1.53-2.34)
Lobular and mixed ductal/lobular carcinoma:
1.54 (1.01-2.33)
|
Netherlands Cohort Study [7]
|
62,573
|
4.3
|
From age 20
|
>=55 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.57 (0.99-2.47)
|
Black Women’s Health Study [8]
|
52,080 |
10 |
From age 18 |
>=55 lbs. vs. <22 lbs.
|
1.17 (0.90-1.52)
|
1.09 (0.81-1.48)
|
Iowa Women's Health Study [9]
|
36,658
|
16
|
From age 18
|
29-45 lbs. vs. <=13 lbs.
|
|
Age 55-64 years: 1.13 (0.85-1.48)
Age 65-74 years:
1.31 (1.11-1.55)
Age 75-84 years:
1.42 (1.10-1.84)
|
|
|
|
|
>45 lbs. vs. <=13 lbs.
|
|
Age 55-64 years: 1.47 (1.13-1.91)
Age 65-74 years:
1.78 (1.52-2.08)
Age 75-84 years:
1.79 (1.40-2.30)
|
Malmo Diet and Cancer Study-Sweden [10]
|
12,159
|
5.7
|
From age 20
|
>46 lbs. vs. 11-22 lbs.
|
|
1.75 (1.11-2.77)
|
Krebs et al. [11]
|
7,523
|
11.3
|
From age 25
|
>29.7% weight change vs. <5.1% weight change
|
|
1.64 (1.15-2.34)
|
NHANES [12]
|
5,599
|
10
|
From age 18
|
70 lbs. (on average) vs. 22 lbs.
|
2.5 (1.2-5.4)¶
|
|
Framingham Heart Study [13]
|
2,873
|
up to 48
|
From age 25
|
>15 to 20 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.8 (1.0-3.5)
|
|
|
|
|
>20 to 25 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
2.6 (1.4-5.1)
|
|
|
|
|
>25 lbs. vs. little weight change
|
|
1.2 (0.5-2.6)
|
* Among women not currently using postmenopausal hormones. Among women using postmenopausal hormones, there was no increase in risk from weight gain.
† Among women who were not currently using postmenopausal hormones, weight gain of >44 lbs. compared to little weight change increased risk of breast cancer of 1.52 (1.08-2.13). Among women who were currently using hormone replacement therapy, weight gain did not increase risk of breast cancer.
‡ Relative risk listed is for women who had never used postmenopausal hormones.
§ Among post-menopausal women who were not currently taking hormone replacement therapy, weight gain had a stronger increase in risk than among women who were currently taking hormone replacement therapy. Among women who were not taking hormone replacement therapy, a weight gain of >=55 lbs. showed an increase in risk of 1.98 (1.55-2.53). Among women who were currently taking hormone replacement therapy, a weight gain of >=55 lbs. showed an increase in risk of 1.20 (1.01-1.43).
¶ Premenopausal and postmenopausal women combined.
References
1. Ahn J, Schatzkin A, Lacey JV Jr, et al. Adiposity, adult weight change, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Arch Intern Med. 167(19):2091-102, 2007.
2. Lahmann PH, Schulz M, Hoffmann K, et al. Long-term weight change and breast cancer risk: the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC). Br J Cancer. 93(5):582-9, 2005.
3. Morimoto LM, White E, Chen Z, Chlebowski RT, Hays J, Kuller L, Lopez AM, Manson J, Margolis KL, Muti PC, Stefanick ML, McTiernan A. Obesity, body size, and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer: the Women's Health Initiative (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 13(8):741-51, 2002.
4. Eliassen AH, Colditz GA, Rosner B, et al. Adult weight change and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. JAMA. 296(2):193-201, 2006.
5. Feigelson HS, Jonas CR, Teras LR, Thun MJ, Calle EE. Weight gain, body mass index, hormone replacement therapy, and postmenopausal breast cancer in a large prospective study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 13(2):220-4, 2004.
6. Feigelson HS, Patel AV, Teras LR, et al. Adult weight gain and histopathologic characteristics of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Cancer. 107(1):12-21, 2006.
7. Van den Brandt PA, Dirx MJ, Ronckers CM, et al. Height, weight, weight change, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk: The Netherlands Cohort Study. Cancer Causes & Control. 8(1):39-47, 1997.
8. Palmer JR, Adams-Campbell LL, Boggs DA, Wise LA, Rosenberg L. A prospective study of body size and breast cancer in black women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 16(9):1795-802, 2007.
9. Sweeney C, Blair CK, Anderson KE, et al. Risk factors of breast cancer in elderly women. Am J Epidemiol. 160(9):868-75, 2004.
10. Lahmann PH, Lissner L, Gullberg B, Olsson H, Berglund G. A prospective study of adiposity and postmenopausal breast cancer risk: the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study. Int J Cancer. 103(2):246-52, 2003.
11. Krebs EE, Taylor BC, Cauley JA, et al. Measures of adiposity and risk of breast cancer in older postmenopausal women. J Am Geriatr Soc. 54(1):63-9, 2006.
12. Ballard-Barbash R, Schatzkin A, Taylor PR, Licitra Kahle L. Association of change in body mass with breast cancer. Cancer Research. 50:2152-2155, 1990.
13. Radimer KL, Ballard-Barbash R, Miller JS, et al. Weight change and the risk of late-onset breast cancer in the original Framingham cohort. Nutr Cancer. 49(1):7-13, 2004.
Updated 08/27/09
