Survivors of breast cancer appear to be more prone to weight gain compared to cancer-free women, new data suggests.
The study, which was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention last July 15, found that women who have a genetic history of cancer, including those who have the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, gained weight quickly.
"Our study showed that women diagnosed with breast cancer and those who received chemotherapy to treat their breast cancer gained more weight within the first five years of diagnosis and treatment than cancer-free women," said Kala Visvanathan, senior author of the study and also an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a press release.
The team from Johns Hopkins enlisted 303 survivors of breast cancer and 307 cancer-free women to be part of the study that runs from 2005 to 2013.
The participants were required to fill out a questionnaire at the beginning of the study, and then they were followed for four years.
A quarter of the participants were on their premenopausal stage and majority of them were white.
Researchers found that survivors gained more weight after four years compared to cancer-free women.
Among those who had been diagnosed with the condition over the last five years of the study duration, 21% put on at least 11 pounds in four years, compared to the 11 percent of cancer-free women who gained just as much over the same period, Medical News Today reported.
Visvanathan said that the key takeaway for doctors is that they and the women should know the risk for weight gain and keep track of the weight.
These patients should be monitored and proper intervention should be initiated when the woman gains weight. Visvanathan also recommends encouraging women to put on a healthy weight after cancer treatment.
