Association of BMI with Risk of Developing Breast Cancer: A Case Control Study

Objective: To determine the association of BMI with the risk of developing breast cancer.

Study Setting: Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Study Duration: 6 months starting from 1st September 2022 to 28th February 2023.

Study Design: Case-control study.

Material and Methods

After taking approval from the hospital ethical committee, 256 patients were included in the study, between August 2022 and January 2023, divided equally into 2 groups as cases (breast cancer) and controls (breast diseases other than cancer). BMI for all patients was calculated and categorized in Microsoft excel sheet and shifted to SPSS data base for analysis and the results shown in tables and charts.

Results: Data on 126 cases and 126 controls were included in the study for analysis. For cases mean BMI was 27.9 kg/m2 and most patients had BMI category 25 to 30 kg/m2 {n=81 (64.3%)}. Correlation of BMI with cases (both left sided and right sided carcinomas gave us a p-value of 0.053. For controls mean BMI was 26.6 kg/m2 and most patients had BMI category 25 to 30 kg/m2 {n=79 (62.7%)}. Correlation of BMI with controls (patients presenting with pathologies other than breast cancer such as breast abscess, cysts, galactoceles, fibroadenomas etc.) gave us a p-value of 0.599.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that being overweight is associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women as compared to other diseases related to the breast.