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Obesity and Breast Cancer

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Obesity and Cancer

Part of the book series: Recent Results in Cancer Research ((RECENTCANCER,volume 208))

Abstract

The relationship between adiposity and breast cancer risk and prognosis is complex, with associations that differ depending on when body size is assessed (e.g., pre- vs. postmenopausal obesity) and when breast cancer is diagnosed (i.e., pre- vs. postmenopausal disease). Further, the impact of obesity on risk differs by tumor hormone receptor status (e.g., estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor) and, among postmenopausal women, use of exogenous hormones (i.e., hormone replacement therapy (HRT)). In the context of these complexities, this review focuses on associations between childhood and adolescent adiposity, general adiposity, weight changes (i.e., loss and gain), abdominal adiposity, and breast cancer risk and survival. Finally, we discuss potential mechanisms linking adiposity to breast cancer.

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  1. Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

    Renée T. Fortner, Verena Katzke, Tilman Kühn & Rudolf Kaaks

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  1. Renée T. Fortner
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Correspondence to Renée T. Fortner .

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  1. Molecular Epidemiology Research Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Straße , Berlin, Germany

    Tobias Pischon

  2. Molecular Epidemiology Research Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Straße, Berlin, Germany

    Katharina Nimptsch

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Fortner, R.T., Katzke, V., Kühn, T., Kaaks, R. (2016). Obesity and Breast Cancer. In: Pischon, T., Nimptsch, K. (eds) Obesity and Cancer. Recent Results in Cancer Research, vol 208. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42542-9_3

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