Breast cancer survival rate lower for obese women
Story By: Bea Karnes
Source: NBC
New findings show a startling new correlation between overweight women and breast cancer. The research indicates that the disease is more aggressive and can be far deadlier in overweight women.
Susan Cockrell is at the end of a long journey. Cockrell has had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and a lot of heartache. "My young one said, 'Are you gonna die, Mom?' And I said, 'No. I'm not gonna die. I'm gonna beat this,'" said Cockrell. She wishes she had taken better care of her health and improved her lifestyle. "I would have definitely changed my lifestyle, because it's a scary thought that the fact that you're an overweight person is going to make cancer more aggressive in you," said Cockrell.
The findings, published in the Journal of American Association for Cancer Research, reveal that not only is breast cancer more aggressive in overweight women but that the chance of survival is greatly diminished. "There seems to be an increase in production of estrogen and that's what's driving the cancer itself," said Manish Gupta, oncologist at Baylor Medical Center in Plano.
Gupta said that when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and her body mass index is greater than 30, a weight-loss plan is also part of her treatment. "Once you get diagnosed with breast cancer, you want to improve your odds of beating it. One of the best ways of beating it is decreasing your weight and improving your overall health," said Gupta.
In the study, 606 women with breast cancer were observed. The ten year survival rate for non-obese women was 56.5%. For obese women, that survival rate dropped to 42.7%.
In spite of losing 59 pounds and being cancer-free, Cockrell is still fighting for her life while being grateful for her second chance. "I can't live in the past. I've got to live for the future, and that is how I approach things now," said Cockrell.
