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Weight gain during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer

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Summary

Weight gain during adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported by several authors. Because increased body weight at diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence, we have assessed the prevalence of weight gain in a series of patients receiving adjuvant treatment, as well as the association of weight gain with type of treatment and risk of recurrence. We first assembled an inception cohort of 237 patients who had all undergone pretreatment evaluation and treatment at one institution, and had already been followed for at least 12 months. Body weight at the start and completion of treatment was recorded, as was type of treatment and status at last followup. Ninety-six percent of patients gained weight during treatment and none lost weight (mean increase 4.3 kg). Weight gain was strongly associated with treatment, and was least in patients receiving single agent chemotherapy, greatest in patients treated with ovarian ablation and prednisone, and intermediate in those receiving combination chemotherapy. There was no association between weight gain and disease recurrence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Student, University of Toronto, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    K Z Heasman

  2. Department of Medicine, Ontario Cancer Institute, 500 Sherbourne Street, M4X 1K9, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    J A Campbell RN & NF Boyd MB, FRCP (C)

  3. Department of Bioresearch, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    H J Sutherland RN

  4. Department of Biostatistics, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    T Elhakim MSc, MS

Authors
  1. K Z Heasman
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  2. H J Sutherland RN
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  3. J A Campbell RN
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  4. T Elhakim MSc, MS
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  5. NF Boyd MB, FRCP (C)
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Additional information

Supported in part by the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, and the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

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Heasman, K.Z., Sutherland, H.J., Campbell, J.A. et al. Weight gain during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Tr 5, 195–200 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01805994

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01805994

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