How Obesity Raises Breast Cancer Risk

We know that obesity raises therisk of breast cancer in women– it also worsens the outlook when the disease occurs– and recent research from Cornell University might help explain the association. The proposed mechanism is a change in the consistency of breast tissue in ways that can promote malignancy. The study found thatobesity seems to prompt a remodeling of fat in the breast, including a thickening of the matrix found between breast cells, and that these changes create conditions that foster tumor growth. The researchers explained that fat tissue in obese women has more wound healing cells than fat tissue in normal weight women. When these cells,called myofibroblasts, create an extracellular matrix, they pull together as they would to close a wound, with the effect of stiffening the tissue.This process of remodeling appears to open the door for tumors to develop, increasing the risk of cancer. Because these changes don’t show up on mammograms, lead researcher Claudia Fischbach suggested that higher resolution imaging techniques might be needed to detect them. Another practical consideration: use of fat cells from obese patients in plastic or reconstructive surgery following mastectomy in breast cancer patients may create conditions that could lead to another malignancy.

Source: Dr. Weil's Daily Health Tips - October 17, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Dr. Weil Tags: breast cancer obesity Source Type: blogs