Correlation between body mass index and pathological features of breast cancer

Abstract

Objective To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer patients with different body mass index (BMI), and to explore the correlation between BMI and breast cancer. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 335 breast cancer patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from December 2012 to December 2017, including 29 cases of breast cancer in situ and 306 cases of invasive breast cancer. According to the diagnostic criteria of obesity and BMI of breast cancer in China, Three groups were divided according to body mass index (BMI) when breast cancer diagnosis: 212 cases of BMI<24 kg/m2 (low weight/normal weight) (including 19 cases of carcinoma in situ and 193 cases of invasive cancer), 98 cases of 24 kg/m2≤BMI<28 kg/m2 (10 cases of carcinoma in situ and 88 cases of invasive cancer), and 25 cases of BMI≤28 kg/m2 (obesity) (including 0 cases of carcinoma in situ and 25 cases of invasive cancer). Compare the clinicopathological characteristics of 3 group. Results The average BMI of invasive breast cancer group was (23.30±3.28) kg/m2, which was higher than that of in situ carcinoma group (22.31±2.51) kg/m2. The difference was statistically significant. By analyzing the pathological characteristics of ER, PR, HER-2, lymph node metastasis and menstrual status in invasive breast cancer group, we found that ER, PR, HER-2, Ki-67, vascular cancer thrombus, lymph node metastasis, molecular subtyping, tumor size and TNM staging were not found statistical significance among the three groups with different BMI values. But the menstrual status between the three groups had statistical difference (P<0.05), suggesting that overweight and obesity may be risk factors for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Conclusions The average BMI value of invasive breast cancer group is higher than that of carcinoma in situ. Overweight and obesity are related to breast cancer in postmenopausal women. By measuring BMI, it can help us to quickly screen high-risk groups of breast cancer and provide scientific basis for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Key words: Body mass index; Breast cancer; Clinicopathological features