Overweight and Obesity in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women of Northeastern Iran: Protecting Against or Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide and affects Iranian women at least one decade earlier than their counterparts in the developed countries. The aim of this study was to determine whether northeastern Iranian breast cancer patients, who were either pre- or postmenopausal, had differences pertaining to their body mass index (BMI) and obesity incidence in comparison with controls. A case-controlled, crosssectional study was performed to assess the BMI of 214 patients, who were either pre- or postmenopausal and had been diagnosed with breast cancer via excisional biopsy. Patients were compared to 463 healthy women. Regardless of their menstrual status, patients and controls exhibited a significant difference in the mean BMI (P-value = 0.04). When the menstrual status and BMI were analyzed, the obesity rate was higher among both premenopausal (P-value = 0.03) and postmenopausal women. Our results showed that there was an increased risk of breast cancer among obese, premenopausal women in northeastern Iran.