Overview –
Body mass index (or BMI) is a tool used to help discern weight categories that might reveal potential health problems. BMI calculator operate by dividing a given individual’s weight measured in kilograms by the value of their height which is squared and measured in meters.
Examining the Link between Breast Cancer Patients and Higher BMI –
Those diagnosed with and who have survived breast cancer face a greater threat of being plagued by another form of cancer although whether or not this is linked to obesity is unclear at the moment.
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer found in women. That being said, those diagnosed early on have a 5-year survival prognosis ranging from 86 to 99 percent. Despite these facts, however, those whom survive breast cancer are now addled with an additional 17 percent increased risk of developing another form of cancer in comparison to the broader population.
Being the policyholder of a health insurance plan would definitely come in handy such that it would offset the costs associated with dealing with these serious medical issues.
Obesity is one factor known to be linked to cancer. One particular study for instance approximates that 40 percent of all cancer diagnoses apply to those who are overweight or obese.
Higher BMI, Obesity, and the Likelihood of a 2nd Cancer Diagnosis –
Although much attention has been paid to the connection that exists between the role played by obesity in the development of an initial diagnosis of cancer, there hasn’t been a thorough examination of how it might affect and spur on another form of cancer.
Keeping this in mind, a team comprised of specialists from Kaiser Permanente located in Denver, United States chose to delve into this topic and examined whether there existed a tether between body mass index and the development of second cancer among women who were survivors of an invasive form of cancer of the breast.
They sought out data from electronic databases in addition to perusing what was available via a surveillance tumor registry. This provided illumination pertaining to the occurrence of and type of cancer that emerged a second time around.
Keeping in mind the specifics used with a BMI calculator, height and weight measurements pertaining to two years prior to and one year following an initial breast cancer diagnosis were made use of.
It is important to note that women included in this study had surgery in order to deal with their breast cancer diagnosis and did not showcase any signs of a second form of another cancer emerging a year later.
Findings pertaining to this study showcased all forms of secondary cancer in place including those which are linked with obesity and secondary diagnoses of breast cancer which were ER-positive.
Findings –
This study was carried out with a sample size of 6481 women whose mean age amounted to 60.2 years. Of these women, 33.4 percent were classified as overweight at the time of their primary breast cancer diagnosis.
This study found that following 7 years and 3 months (or 88 months) –
- 12.7 percent of the women assessed were diagnosed with secondary cancer.
- 61.8 percent of the aforementioned women were diagnosed with cancer which was linked to obesity.
- 40.5 percent of the women diagnosed with secondary cancer did in fact develop cancer of the breast again of which the majority (or 69.4 percent) were ER-positive.
Conclusion –
Keeping in mind the fact that the chances of developing secondary cancer increased by 5 percent for each 5 unit increment in body mass index, it is important for individuals to stay fit and keep their body weight in check. Availing of health insurance can come in handy as it can help cover expenses and can be bought with ease online at Finserv MARKETS today.