CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A new study on breast cancer took a closer look at the association between body mass index and breast cancer risk in younger women prior to menopause.
It's been suggested previously that weight and body mass may play a role in hormones and changes in the body, raising breast cancer risk.
The new study in JAMA Oncology looked at more than 700,000 women. They actually found a higher BMI was associated with a lower breast cancer risk in women prior to menopause. Researchers found a 12 percent to 23 percent reduction in breast cancer risk per five unit difference in BMI, depending on age.
One question that still needs more research is whether or not where you carry your weight makes a difference in breast cancer risk. For example, weight around the waist has been linked to everything from hormone changes to other types of cancer to heart disease.
More research is needed as we continue to learn more about breast cancer risk.
