Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk Increase With Weight

Breast cancer risk and its association to a woman’s weight has been proven. However, according to an online ABC news story weight is also associated with the recurrence of breast cancer in breast cancer survivors. Even being moderately overweight is associated to a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence according to a study that was published in the Journal of Cancer. Even with the best treatment and results. researchers at Montefiore Medical Center discovered that the higher a woman’s BMI the higher risk she had for developing breast cancer again after her initial diagnosis and treatment. More shocking, is the evidence that women who were obese when they were first diagnosed with breast cancer had about a 30% higher risk of recurrence and a nearly 50% higher risk of death than women who were of normal weight. Researchers and physicians are hopeful that treatment methods and strategies geared at attacking hormonal changes and inflammation created by obesity may help to reduce the risk of recurrence. ‘ “As fat cells also are producers of estrogen, obese persons may not have the same degree of estrogen suppression from anti-estrogen therapies used to treat and prevent breast cancer,” said Dr. Jennifer Litton, assistant professor of oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In this study, the type of breast cancer that showed an increase; was hormone receptor positive, this is the most common type of breast cancer and accounts for two thirds of all breast cancer cases in the United States and worldwide. This further proves the benefit of weight loss and the critical link to breast cancer. Weight loss is an important issue for most Americans. Dr. Seify treats patients who have successfully lost weight yet they have loose and lax skin that is left behind as a result of the weight-loss. This loose skin can be not only unattractive but uncomfortable. Most often patients find loose skin on their arms, thighs, and abdomen to be the most bothersome. In these cases Dr. Seify  will typically recommend an abdominoplasty to remove the loose skin from the abdomen. During this procedure he will often tighten the stomach muscles to achieve a flatter and more aesthetically pleasing result. For the arms, Dr. Seify will typically recommend a brachioplasty or an arm lift. This removes the excess skin on the underside of the upper arm. The incision is well hidden, and once healed is barely visible. And for the thighs Dr. Seify will typically recommend a thigh lift which remove and tighten the excess skin on the upper thigh as well as the lower buttock. Depending upon the patient’s health and other factors Dr. Seify will advise the patient which procedures ;if any, can be combined. Patients who are considering cosmetic plastic surgery after weight loss are encouraged to contact Dr. Seify’s office and schedule a consultation to determine which procedures are best for them.