In a new study published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, researchers compared a group of women who survived a breast cancer with a similar group of women who have not had the disease but who may have it due to a family history. They found (after taking into account the influence of age and menopause) that women who survived cancer gained an average of two kilograms more than women who did not have the disease, within 5 years after diagnosis.
A number of 303 breast cancer survivors and 307 cancer-free women were recruited for this study led by Dr. Kala Visvanathan of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the United States. Doctors also found that women treated with chemotherapy were twice as likely to gain weight (over 5 pounds on average) than women treated with hormone therapy or women who did not have cancer.
According to Dr. Visvanathan, although cancer treatment remains the priority, it is also important to monitor the patient’s weight chart as this weight gain may have an impact on the development of other diseases. “In addition, weight has an impact on the way in which patients react to treatment and on their recovery” insists the doctor.
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