Distribution of body fat and breast cancer: a case-control study in the South of Brazil/ Distribuicao da gordura corporal e cancer de mama: um estudo de caso-controle no Sul do Brasil

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva Vol. 16; no. 5; p. 2425
• Main Authors: Felden, Jussara Beatriz Borre, Figueiredo, Andreia Cristina Leal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva - ABRASCO 01.05.2011
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561

The scope of this study is to verify the association between body fat distribution and breast cancer in women in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Case-control methodology was used in this study, in which 100 women with a histopathological diagnosis of breast cancer were compared to an out-patient control group (400 women) between January and October 2005. The anthropometric variables collected were: body mass (kg), height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference. No association was found between the body mass index (BMI) and the waist/hip ratio (WHR) with the occurrence of breast cancer. In relation to WC, it was observed that women with a high measurement (≥ 88 cm) showed 2.08 times greater chance of developing the disease than those with normal or moderate measurements (< 80 cm-87 cm). When these women were grouped by (pre- and post-) menopausal state and anthropometric variables, only WC showed an adjusted OR association=3.15. The accumulation of fat in the upper part of the body (WC ≥ 88 cm) is a predisposing factor for breast cancer, especially in pre-menopausal women. Key words Anthropometry, Abdominal obesity, Breast cancer, Case-control study Resumo O presente estudo tem como objetivo verificar a associacao entre a distribuicao da gordura corporal e o cancer de mama em mulheres do Rio Grande do Sul. Para este estudo, utilizouse um delineamento de caso-controle, no qual foram avaliadas cem mulheres com diagnostico histopatologico de cancer de mama em comparacao com o grupo controle ambulatorial (400 mulheres) durante os meses de janeiro a outubro de 2005. As variaveis antropometricas coletadas foram: massa corporal (kg), estatura, circunferencia da cintura (CC) e perimetro do quadril. Nao foi encontrada associacao entre o indice de massa corporal (IMC) e a razao cintura/quadril (RCQ) com ocorrencia de cancer de mama. Ja para CC, observou-se que mulheres com essa medida elevada (≥ 88 cm) apresentam 2,08 vezes mais chance de desenvolver a doenca do que aquelas com as medidas normais ou moderadas (< 80 cm-87 cm). Quando essas mulheres foram agrupadas por estado menopausal (pre e pos) e variaveis antropometricas, somente a CC apresentou associacao OR ajustado=3,15. Conclusao: acumulo de gordura na parte superior do corpo (CC ≥ 88 cm) e um preditor de cancer de mama especialmente em mulheres pre-menopausa. Palavras-chave Antropometria, Obesidade abdominal, Cancer de mama, Estudo de caso-controle