Women who have a high body mass index are at an increased risk of having breast cancer that is not detected on a mammogram. That’s why they should do it more often.
Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for cancer. Women with a high BMI may need shorter intervals between breast cancer screening exams with a mammogram, according to a new study from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. This is what emerges from a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Overweight is precisely defined from BMI (a measure of body fat based on height and weight). When it reaches 25 or more, we are overweight.
In general, it increases many health risks such as diabetes or heart disease. On the other hand, it has never been considered as a valid criterion for breast cancer screening.
Raise awareness among women
The importance of body fat was found to be decisive in the Swedish study. Overweight women have a poorer prognosis than women of “normal” build for breast cancer screening. Breast density did not show a significant association with disease progression.
“Our study suggests that when a clinician presents the advantages and disadvantages of breast cancer screening to the patient, having a high BMI should be an argument,” says Dr. Stand. Before adding that “overweight women should consider shorter time intervals between mammograms.”
In the near future, Dr Strand intends to see how breast density is associated with delayed detection.
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