Breastcancer >> FAQ's About Breast Cancer >> Can Being Overweight Put Me At Risk For Breast Cancer?
Can Being Overweight Put Me At Risk For Breast Cancer?
Whether or not breast cancer puts you at risk for breast cancer depends on your age. A woman who is premenopausal and overweight is less likely to develop breast cancer than someone who is menopausal or postmenopausal. If you are an obese woman over 50 years of age, and you get breast cancer, you are more likely to die from the disease than someone who is not obese. Approximately 16 out of every 18 obese women over 50 die from breast cancer each year. You don’t even have to be obese to be at risk for breast cancer; you increase your risk of breast cancer by 40 percent if you are just 20 pounds overweight. If you have a BMI over 30 you have a 63 percent chance of not surviving past 5 years.
Obese women who are postmenopausal women generally have 50 to 100 percent higher levels of estrogen than menopausal women who are not obese. Adipose tissue (fat) is the primary source of estrogen production in obese women who are postmenopausal. Before women go into menopause, their ovaries are the main producers of estrogen, but when the ovaries shut down in obese women, their adipose starts producing high levels of estrogen. High levels of estrogen can cause rapid growth of breast cells in women who are sensitive to estrogen. Women who are obese and menopausal are 1.5 more likely to develop breast cancer than women who are of healthy weight. If you were to have a breast cancer tumor, and your tumor is sensitive to estrogen, it could grow very quickly.
Obese women are not the only women at risk for breast cancer. Estrogen produced by promotes breast cancer, but not much is known about the effect of estrogen on the cancer genes. A large portion of women develop breast cancer from a gene mutation. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are responsible for a large portion of breast cancers. Women who have the breast cancer gene can get breast cancer at any age, whether they are of normal weight or overweight. Younger women are at risk of breast cancer if they have the breast cancer gene. Many younger women have denser breast tissue than older women, and it can be more difficult to visualize the breast with a mammogram. These younger women with the cancer gene are more likely to die from their disease, because their breast tumors grow more aggressively.
Women who eat a low fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables low in meat protein reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by 40 percent. Approximately 15 percent of all breast cancers are caused by being obese. If you are overweight, and you don’t have breast cancer, you can reduce your risk of breast cancer by losing the excess weight. A healthy diet and moderate exercise can reduce your risk of breast cancer by 52 percent. Obviously, you can’t lose weight overnight; therefore, living a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and exercise will help you to prevent breast cancer.
Obesity combined with an unhealthy lifestyle, such as in the use of tobacco increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Women who smoke at least 1 pack of cigarettes per day for 9 years increase their risk of breast cancer by 59 percent. Alcohol is another culprit that increases your risk of breast cancer. Women who drink at least one alcoholic drink, including beer, wine, and hard drinks, increase their risk of developing breast cancer by 13 percent. Breast cancer is an insidious disease; you could have it and not even know it. Therefore, it is vitally important to improve your lifestyle. It’s never too late to eat better, exercise more, cease smoking, and drink less alcohol.