Obesity as a risk factor for developing breast cancer: systematic review

Background: obesity and breast cancer represent an important public health problem given the high frequency of both conditions in the world population. The objective of the present study is to systematically review and analyze the most current scientific evidence regarding the association between obesity and the development of breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Material and methods: a systematic review of the literature was carried out using a highly sensitive search in the main databases of Pubmed, Embase, Scholar google and Cochrane using observational studies and clinical trials that have been studied as inclusion criteria Obesity as a risk factor for breast cancer. Results: obesity and overweight are associated with a greater risk of breast cancer development, specifically ER+, a worse prognosis, and a greater mortality rate. The association between body fat, early age and breast cancer is contradictory, but can play a protective role in both pre and postmenopausal women. Conclusion: it is possible to infer that with regard to body weight, the best way to prevent breast cancer is to maintain an adequate weight, mainly through a healthy lifestyle. However, it is necessary to define, through studies, the amount of body weight gained and the period of life in which the risk of breast cancer increases.