Research

Hormonal

Obesity and post-diagnosis weight gain in breast cancer patients are associated with significantly increased risks of disease recurrence and mortality.

Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight after a breast cancer diagnosis is clinically important. Evidence shows that being overweight or gaining weight after diagnosis increases the risk of the cancer returning and reduces survival. While specific weight loss protocols for breast cancer are still being finalized, managing weight through diet and activity is recommended to potentially improve outcomes.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
women with breast cancer who are overweight or gain weight after diagnosis are found to be at greater risk for breast cancer recurrence and death compared with lighter women.
Rowan T. Chlebowski · Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2002

Why this rating

Based on a meta-analysis of 34 studies (29,460 women) and multiple prospective cohorts, though definitive intervention trials are lacking.

Source

Weight Loss in Breast Cancer Patient Management

Rowan T. Chlebowski · Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2002

DOI 10.1200/jco.20.4.1128

narrative_reviewCited 227×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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