Recent studies indicate that premenopausal women who have excess fat around the stomach, or have a waist size larger than the size of the hips, have a higher risk of certain types of breast cancer, the estrogen receptor (ER) negative.
The doctors claim that many breast tumors sensitive to estrogen. This conclusion is supported by pathology reports to identify the type of cancer that occurs in patients.
Estrogen receptor negative cancer occurs when cancer lack receptors for the hormone estrogen. In this case the hormone does not stimulate cancer growth.
While estrogen receptor positive cancer is a condition in which the growth of cancer cells is influenced by estrogen, and responsive to treatment with tamoxifen because these drugs block the interaction between estrogen and estrogen receptors.
The research team said that the body fat composition has a relationship with cancer risk. Having a higher BMI, for example, is associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, but not for premenopausal cancer.
In a more recent study, the research team focused on data over 116,000 women enrolled in previous studies that have noted the waist and hip circumference.
Premenopausal women who have extra fat around the organs in the abdominal area are more likely to develop hyperinsulinemia (pre-diabetes condition).
Experiments in the laboratory have shown that insulin receptors can promote the growth of breast cancer cells.
The fact that ER-negative breast cancer is more associated with abdominal fat and waist-hip circumference ratio of ER-positive breast cancer makes experts think that the distribution of body fat associated with sex hormones.
This finding also suggests that abdominal fat may trigger the appearance of breast cancer in premenopausal women
