If you're around the age of menopause and you're concerned about breast cancer, a new study says the best thing you can do is lose weight if you are obese. In a study published in the journal Cancer Research, scientists at the University of Colorado Cancer Center found that breast cancer tumors in obese women were more aggressive than tumors in lean women.
The researchers said that in lean women, excess fat and glucose is taken up by the liver, mammary and skeletal tissues while in obese women, these were taken up by the cancerous tumors, allowing the cancer to grow faster.
They also said that weight gain during the menopausal transition is particularly dangerous for women who were obese at the start of menopause. The combination of obesity and weight gain appears to give tumors a metabolic advantage and the excess calories fuel tumor growth rather than being stored in healthy tissues.
It's always hard to lose weight and even harder as you get older but this study should provide new impetus to get back on track just in time for your new year's resolutions.
