Anthropometric measures and breast cancer risk among Hispanic women in Puerto Rico

The association between adiposity indices and the odds of breast cancer based on findings from a case control study

Adiposity is a major risk factor for the development of cancers, such as breast cancer(BC) in adults. However, the role of central adiposity or general obesity as primary predictors of BC occurrence and progression is not well-established. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the association between various adiposity indices, including a body shape index(ABSI), abdominal volume index(AVI), body roundness index(BRI), conicity index(CI), body adiposity index(BAI), reciprocal ponderal index(RPI), and waist to height0.5 ratio(WHt0.5R) as surrogates for predicting the odds of BC in adult women. This case-control study was conducted at Shohada and Imam Hossain hospitals in Tehran and included 134 newly diagnosed BC cases and 267 controls. Anthropometric variables, including weight, height, and waist circumference were measured using standard methods, and various adiposity indices were calculated accordingly. The odds ratios(ORs) with 95% confidence intervals(CIs) for BC were reported across tertiles of adiposity indices using multivariable logistic regression. Participants in the highest tertile of BRI(OR:2.07;95% CI:1.04-4.12), BAI(OR:2.06;95% CI:1.05-4.03), and WHt0.5R(OR:1.81;95% CI:1.01-3.55) had significantly higher odds of BC compared to those in the lowest tertile(P < 0.05). Additionally, each SD increase in RPI was associated with lower odds of BC(OR:0.77;95% CI:0.61-0.98,P = 0.034). However, no significant associations were observed for CI, AVI, and ABSI with the odds of BC. Our results suggest that WHtR, BRI, BAI, and WHt0.5R may be more effective predictors of BC odds among the evaluated adiposity indices.

Obesity and Risk of Pre- and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer in Africa: A Systematic Review

Background and Aims: Several epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between anthropometric factors and breast cancer (BC), but the results, particularly for premenopausal BC, remain inconsistent and contradictory. The aim of this systematic review is to present an overview of studies examining the association between obesity and BC risk in African women, by menopausal status. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched until 17 February 2025 to identify published articles. The review included original studies, with no restrictions on publication date or language. The exposures studied were height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The quality of the studies was assessed using the National Institute of Health (NIH). Study selection and data extraction were carried out by two authors separately. Results: A total of fifteen case-control studies were included in this systematic review, comprising 45,056 subjects (7221 cases and 37,835 controls). Among them, fourteen studies reported stratified results for pre- and postmenopausal women, and one reported findings for only premenopausal BC. We found that BMI was associated with an increased risk of BC in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, though the associations varied across studies. Height was associated with an increased risk of pre- and postmenopausal BC. WHR was positively associated with BC in pre- and postmenopausal women, while WC showed a positive association with the risk of postmenopausal BC, and inconsistent results with premenopausal BC. Finally, a higher HC was positively associated with premenopausal and postmenopausal BC. Conclusions: The risk of developing BC is higher in obese postmenopausal women. The protective role of BMI has not been demonstrated in African premenopausal women. WHR is a risk factor for premenopausal and postmenopausal BC. There is a need to study the influence of stages of overweight and obesity on BC risk in a large sample of African women in-depth.

Trends in the Disease Burden and Risk Factors of Women's Cancers in China From 1990 to 2019

Objectives

To examine age-specific trends and risk factors in the burden of women's cancers (WCs) in China from 1990 to 2019 to inform strategies.

Methods

Data were sourced from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 and World Population Prospects 2019. Time trends, age differences, and key factors for breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers (BC, CC, and OC) were analyzed based on age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate.

Results

ASIRs for BC and CC increased over the study period, with a slower growth rate for CC after 2005, likely due to targeted HPV prevention. OC showed the highest ASIR and DALY increases, indicating a growing concern. Peak ASIR for BC and CC was in women aged 50-55, while OC showed a higher burden in women aged 70-79. Lower DALYs in women born after 1985 suggest improved healthcare access.

Conclusion

This study highlights significant trends in cancer burden among Chinese women, driven by age and reproductive health policies. Future efforts should enhance screening, health literacy, and age-targeted risk reduction for specific cancer types.

The relationship between central obesity and risk of breast cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis of 7,989,315 women

Purpose

Central obesity may contribute to breast cancer (BC); however, there is no dose-response relationship. This meta-analysis examined the effects of central obesity on BC and their potential dose-response relationship.

Methods

In the present study, PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were searched on 1 August 2022 for published articles. We included the prospective cohort and case-control studies that reported the relationship between central obesity and BC. Summary effect size estimates were expressed as risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and were evaluated using random-effect models. The inconsistency index (I2) was used to quantify the heterogeneity magnitude derived from the random-effects Mantel-Haenszel model.

Results

This meta-analysis included 57 studies (26 case-control and 31 prospective cohort) as of August 2022. Case-control studies indicated that waist circumference (WC) (adjusted OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00-1.38; P = 0.051) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (adjusted OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.07-1.53; P = 0.008) were significantly positively related to BC. Subgroup analysis showed that central obesity measured by WC increased the premenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.99-1.34; P = 0.063) and postmenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.36; P = 0.018) BC risk and the same relationship appeared in WHR between premenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.19-1.59; P < 0.001) and postmenopausal (adjusted OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.22-1.64; P < 0.001). The same relationship was observed in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) (adjusted ORWC = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.02-1.57; P = 0.035, adjusted ORWHR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.00-1.98; P = 0.051) and hormone receptor-negative (HR-) (adjusted ORWC = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.13-1.83; P = 0.003, adjusted ORWHR = 1.42; 95% CI: 0.95-2.13; P = 0.087) BCs. Prospective cohort studies indicated that high WC (adjusted RR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.08-1.16; P < 0.001) and WHR (adjusted RR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.018-1.09; P = 0.017) may increase BC risk. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant correlation during premenopausal (adjusted RR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.14; P = 0.007) and postmenopausal (adjusted RR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.10-1.19; P < 0.001) between BC and central obesity measured by WC, and WHR was significantly positively related to BC both premenopausal (adjusted RRpre = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.98-1.11; P = 0.169) and postmenopausal (adjusted RRpost = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.07; P = 0.002). Regarding molecular subtype, central obesity was significantly associated with HR+ (adjusted ORWC = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07-1.19; P < 0.001, adjusted ORWHR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.98-1.07; P = 0.244) and HR- BCs (adjusted ORWC =1.11; 95% CI: 0.99-1.24; P = 0.086, adjusted ORWHR =1.01; 95% CI: 0.91-1.13; P = 0.808). Our dose-response analysis revealed a J-shaped trend in the relationship between central obesity and BC (measured by WC and WHR) in case-control studies and an inverted J-shaped trend between BMI (during premenopausal) and BC in the prospective cohort.

Conclusion

Central obesity is a risk factor for premenopausal and postmenopausal BC, and WC and WHR may predict it. Regarding the BC subtype, central obesity is proven to be a risk of ER+ and ER- BCs. The dose-response analysis revealed that when BMI (during premenopausal) exceeded 23.40 kg/m2, the risk of BC began to decrease, and WC higher than 83.80 cm or WHR exceeded 0.78 could efficiently increase the BC risk.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42022365788.

A body shape index (ABSI) is associated inversely with post-menopausal progesterone-receptor-negative breast cancer risk in a large European cohort

BACKGROUND

Associations of body shape with breast cancer risk, independent of body size, are unclear because waist and hip circumferences are correlated strongly positively with body mass index (BMI).

METHODS

We evaluated body shape with the allometric "a body shape index" (ABSI) and hip index (HI), which compare waist and hip circumferences, correspondingly, among individuals with the same weight and height. We examined associations of ABSI, HI, and BMI (per one standard deviation increment) with breast cancer overall, and according to menopausal status at baseline, age at diagnosis, and oestrogen and progesterone receptor status (ER+/-PR+/-) in multivariable Cox proportional hazards models using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 14.0 years, 9011 incident breast cancers were diagnosed among 218,276 women. Although there was little evidence for association of ABSI with breast cancer overall (hazard ratio HR = 0.984; 95% confidence interval: 0.961-1.007), we found borderline inverse associations for post-menopausal women (HR = 0.971; 0.942-1.000; n = 5268 cases) and breast cancers diagnosed at age ≥ 55 years (HR = 0.976; 0.951-1.002; n = 7043) and clear inverse associations for ER + PR- subtypes (HR = 0.894; 0.822-0.971; n = 726) and ER-PR- subtypes (HR = 0.906; 0.835-0.983 n = 759). There were no material associations with HI. BMI was associated strongly positively with breast cancer overall (HR = 1.074; 1.049-1.098), for post-menopausal women (HR = 1.117; 1.085-1.150), for cancers diagnosed at age ≥ 55 years (HR = 1.104; 1.076-1.132), and for ER + PR + subtypes (HR = 1.122; 1.080-1.165; n = 3101), but not for PR- subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

In the EPIC cohort, abdominal obesity evaluated with ABSI was not associated with breast cancer risk overall but was associated inversely with the risk of post-menopausal PR- breast cancer. Our findings require validation in other cohorts and with a larger number of PR- breast cancer cases.