Associations of physical activity and inactivity with body tissue composition among healthy Polish women and women after mastectomy

Body Composition in Women after Radical Mastectomy

The aim of the study was to analyse the body composition among women after radical mastectomy. The body compositions of 30 women after radical mastectomy (study group) were compared with those of 30 healthy females (control group). The method of electrical bioimpedance was used to analyse body composition. The significant differences between the groups, unfavourable for women, following mastectomy concerned body mass (p = 0.021), BMI (p = 0.049), fat mass (%) (p = 0.007), fat mass (kg) (p = 0.005), total body water (%) (p = 0.002), left upper limb fat mass (p = 0.013) as well as right upper limb fat mass (p = 0.022). The body composition of women after radical mastectomy was significantly worse compared to the control group. The majority of subjects were overweight and had high levels of body fat. Abnormal body composition is a modifiable risk factor of breast cancer; therefore, improving lifestyle is important in the prevention and treatment of this disease. There is a need for education, dietary supervision and physical activity in women following radical mastectomy. The innovation of our study was the use of the modern bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method, which does not cause ionisation and is a gold standard in the field of body composition analysis. In future research, we plan to broaden the assessment of lifestyle and the significance of diet and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Overestimates Fat-Free Mass in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment

BACKGROUND

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is commonly used to assess fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) in breast cancer patients. However, because of the prevalence of overweight, obesity and variable hydration status in these patients, assumptions for existing prediction equations developed in healthy adults may be violated, resulting in inaccurate body composition assessment.

METHODS

We measured whole-body FFM using single-frequency BIA (50 kHz) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 48 patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. We applied raw BIA data to 18 previously published FFM prediction equations (FFM_BIA ) and compared these estimates to DXA (FFM_DXA ; reference method).

RESULTS

On average, patients were 52 ± 10 (mean ± SD) years of age and overweight (body mass index: 27.5 ± 5.5 kg/m² ; body fat by DXA: 40.1% ± 6.6%). Relative to DXA, BIA overestimated FFM by 4.1 ± 3.4 kg (FFM_DXA : 42.0 ± 5.9 kg; FFM_BIA : 46.1 ± 3.4 kg). Individual equation-generated predictions of FFM_BIA ranged from 39.6 ± 6.7 to 52.2 ± 5.6 kg, with 16 equations overestimating and 2 equations underestimating FFM_BIA compared with FFM_DXA . Based on equivalence testing, no equation-generated estimates were equivalent to DXA.

CONCLUSION

Compared with DXA, BIA overestimated FFM in breast cancer patients during treatment. Although several equations performed better than others, none produced values that aligned closely with DXA. Caution should be used when interpreting BIA measurements in this clinical population, and future studies should develop prediction equations specific to breast cancer patients.

Eating Habits and Preferences of Polish Women Undergoing Treatment for Breast Cancer

Objective: The objective of the study is the assessment of the nutrition as well as the eating habits and preferences of Polish women undergoing breast cancer treatment. Material and methods: The study included women undergoing breast cancer treatment aged over 50 years. Data were collected on 112 respondents, residents of a large city, for whom the average time elapsed since the completion of treatment was 5 years. Their eating habits and preferences were determined on the basis of the frequency of consumption of products with potentially beneficial and adverse effects on health, which made it possible to determine the pro-Healthy Diet Index-10 (pHDI-10) and non-Healthy Diet Index-14 (nHDI-14). The intensity of properties beneficially and adversely affecting health was assessed in three intervals: small, moderate, and large. On the basis of the BMI index persons with normal body proportions were identified as well as those above the norm. The effect of lifestyle and socioeconomic status on pHDI-10 and nHDI-14 was determined. Results: More than half of the studied women had normal body weight and 39% were overweight. One in three women was characterised by a low level of physical activity. The participants of the study followed diets with a low intensity of unhealthy properties with a weak influence of protective properties of nutrition. A significant, adverse effect of the nutritional knowledge and health self-assessment on pro-Healthy Diet Index-10 and non-Healthy Diet Index-14 was demonstrated. Bad habits related to lifestyle (excessive energy consumption/overweight, smoking cigarettes in the past) contributed to overconsumption of unhealthy products/dishes. Conclusion: The demonstrated dietary mistakes indicate that actions aiming to promote benefits of undertaking behaviour beneficial for health should also be carried out among women with breast cancer diagnosis after the completion of treatment.