The association of body weight with recurrent cancer of the breast.

Recurrence of carcinoma of the breast after radical mastectomy was associated with preoperative body weight among patients observed for up to 24 years. Patients who had no axillary lymph node metastases and who weighed 130 pounds or less had an accumulative recurrence free survival superior to that of heavier patients. The advantage was unassociated with significant differences in menopausal status, clinical stage, or tumor size. High fat diet and large body mass have been linked epidemiologically with high risk for breast cancer; whatever biologic mechanisms are involved may also promote growth of residual tumor after potentially curative surgery. Diet and weight reduction may represent empirical means for improving the prognosis of heavy individuals with early stages of breast cancer.