TOPLINE:
Women diagnosed with metabolic syndrome at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis had a significantly higher risk for recurrence and mortality than those without the condition, according to a meta-analysis of more than 42,000 survivors.
METHODOLOGY:
- Research has shown that women with metabolic syndrome have a higher risk of developing breast cancer and a worse prognosis after diagnosis.
- To understand the possible negative effects of metabolic syndrome on patients’ prognosis, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 17 studies (observational and clinical trials) involving 42,135 breast cancer survivors (mean age, 53.2 years) to assess the association between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer outcomes.
- Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the American Heart Association as the presence of three or more of the following five risk factors: High blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, low high-density lipoprotein levels, high fasting glucose levels, and central obesity.
- The primary endpoint was disease-free survival, defined as the period from the diagnosis of breast cancer to the first breast cancer event, such as recurrence or death. The average follow-up duration was 94.8 months.
TAKEAWAY:
- Breast cancer survivors with metabolic syndrome had a 69% higher risk for recurrence than those without metabolic syndrome.
- Breast cancer survivors also had a significantly higher risk for breast cancer mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.83) as well as shorter overall survival (HR, 1.79) and shorter disease-free survival (HR, 1.57) than those without metabolic syndrome.
- The association between metabolic syndrome and worse breast cancer prognosis remained consistent across geographical locations, including North America, Asia, and Europe.
- In a subgroup analysis of postmenopausal women, metabolic syndrome and risk for disease-free survival were more strongly associated compared with patients in the full pooled population (HR, 1.80).
IN PRACTICE:
“The findings of this study emphasize the importance of metabolic screening for [breast cancer] survivors. Future research should focus on assessing how lipid control, reversing diabetes, and making healthy lifestyle choices could decrease the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population and ultimately enhance [breast cancer] survival,” the authors concluded.
“Although our study did not investigate the biological underpinnings of the observed associations, it is likely that multiple interacting mechanisms — primarily driven by obesity-induced molecular changes and chronic inflammation — underlie the link between metabolic syndrome and poor breast cancer outcomes,” the lead author said in a press release from the European Congress on Obesity in Málaga, Spain.
SOURCE:
This study, led by Sixten Harborg, Aarhus University Hospital/Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark, was published online in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
LIMITATIONS:
Study limitations included heterogeneity across the included studies and publication bias. The discrepancy between risks for disease-free survival and breast cancer mortality might be attributed to the broad definition of disease-free survival , which included both cancer recurrence and death from any cause. Additionally, this study lacked stratification by breast cancer subtype or treatment modality.
DISCLOSURES:
No funding information was provided for this study. The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.