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 Press releases & statements |
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| Body fat and blood sugar linked to breast tumour aggressiveness |
March 17, 2008
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Women who are overweight or have high blood sugar levels could be at a
decreased risk of developing a low-risk breast cancer, but may be at an
increased risk of developing a more aggressive form of breast cancer,
according to a new study.
The study at Umeå University in Sweden, which was funded by World Cancer
Research Fund and is published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment,
found that BMI and blood sugar levels may influence women’s risk of
developing different types of breast cancer and that the risk of a more
severe breast cancer form may be higher among overweight women and among
women with higher blood sugar levels.
It is thought to be the first study to look at how excess body fat and blood
sugar levels affect someone’s chances of developing different types of
tumours.
Professor Martin Wiseman, Scientific and Medical Advisor to WCRF, said:
“This study reminds us that being overweight increases risk of breast cancer
as well as several other cancers.
“But it also places high blood sugar levels in the frame as one way that
this happens. And if people want to keep their blood sugar levels low, one
of the best things they can do is avoid being overweight"
Tanja Stocks, first author of the study, said: “These results are very
interesting and the difference in risks of tumours may be down to the
oestrogen and insulin levels. We believe this is the first study to find a
link between blood sugar levels and the type of tumour.
“Hopefully now this will lead to more work on how things like body fat and
blood sugar levels affect the type of tumour that develops, as well as a
person’s overall cancer risk.”
Notes to editors
About WCRF
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) raises awareness that cancer is largely preventable and helps people make choices to reduce their chances of developing the disease.
This includes research into how cancer risk is related to diet, physical activity, and weight management, and education programmes that highlight the fact that about a third of cancers could be prevented through changes to lifestyle. For more information on the charity’s work, visit www.wcrf-uk.org
The WCRF report, called Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, was launched in November 2007 and is the most comprehensive report ever published on the link between cancer and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.dietandcancerreport.org. |
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