Obesity Compounds Problems Associated with Breast Cancer

Native News Network Staff in Native Health. Discussion »

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA - A new study released the Mayo Clinic reveals that obese women have larger problems when they develop aggressive breast cancer than do their slimmer counterparts.

Moderate-intensity Aerobic Activity at the Recent Cherokee Diabetes Walk

This study is relevant to the Native women because American Indian and Alaska Native women are more likely than white women to be obese. In fact, less than half of American Indian and Alaska Native women are at a healthy weight.

Treatment can make a big difference.

The findings of the Mayo Clinic study suggest the drug Herceptin was so powerful that it equalized disease-free survival of obese and healthy-weight women.

Jennifer Crozier, who examined data on women with early HER-2-positive breast cancer, says obese women's tumors were larger and had greater spread into parts of the circulatory system called the lymph nodes.

"Weight management is an important part of breast cancer treatment. And having a healthy lifestyle prior to a diagnosis is going to be important for all of our patients,"

stated Crozier.

The study presented at a breast cancer symposium was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Here are some suggestions if you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk of many health problems. And physical activity is one key part of weight loss and keeping a healthy weight. Health benefits are gained by doing aerobic activity that includes the following each week:

posted January 24, 2012 6:30 am est