The relationship between breast cancer and obesity

Introduction: Breast cancer is the leading form of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer-induced death in the United States and worldwide. The World Health Organization statistics show that the obese population, defined as those with a body mass index ≥۳۰ kg/m۲, has been growing rapidly worldwide in recent decades.Search method: The authors conducted a narrative review, beginning with a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar in the recent decade. We used the following keywords to find relevant articles: Breast cancer, Obesity, BMI.Result: Obesity may be specifically associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Obesity is a recognized risk factor for the development of breast cancer and recurrence even when patients are treated appropriately. many studies illustrate that women who are overweight or obese at the time of breast cancer diagnosis are at increased risk of cancer recurrence and death compared with leaner women.Conclusion: Obesity is an independent prognostic factor for developing distant metastases and for death as a result of breast cancer; the effects of adjuvant therapy seem to be lost more rapidly in patients with breast cancer and obesity