Body Weight, Central Adiposity, and Fasting Hyperglycemia Are Associated with Tumor Characteristics in a Brazilian Cohort of Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of overweight, obesity, excess central adiposity, hyperglycemia, and diabetes mellitus with tumor characteristics in breast cancer. In this retrospective cohort study that enrolled 2127 women with breast cancer, the independent variables collected were fasting blood glucose, body mass index, central adiposity (waist circumference and waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR)), and waist-to-height ratio. The tumor characteristics (infiltrating, ductal grade, hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor, triple negative, size, lymph node involvement, and clinical stage) were the dependent variables. Most of the women were postmenopausal (73.5%), with an infiltrating tumor (83.0%), HR+ (82.0%), and overweight or obese (71.0%). For the premenopausal women, obesity was associated with grade 3 ductal tumor (odds ratio (OR): 1.70; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.09–2.66), triple negative (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.08–3.24), and size ≥ 2 cm (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.36–3.56). For the postmenopausal women, obesity was associated with WHR, infiltrating tumor (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.56–1.95), size ≥ 2 cm (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.11–1.71), lymph node involvement (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02–1.56), and stages III–IV (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.30–2.65). Excess body weight and central adiposity were associated with tumor aggressiveness characteristics in women with breast cancer, confirming the importance of nutritional status.