ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Increased body mass index (BMI) is considered a risk factor for breast cancer. Moreover, it is associated with an unfavorable prognosis of the disease. Overweight and obesity are a global public health problem. Objective. We aimed to describe the risk factor of high BMI in breast cancer patients through an observational study of patients diagnosed with mammary neoplasm. Patients and Methods. The study was performed on a sample of 172 women with breast cancer with a mean age of 58.8 (+/-SD) years and a control sample of 217 women without breast cancer with a mean age of 54 (+/-SD) years. Data collection was performed by questionnaires and by anthropometric measurements, during 2017-2021. Statistical analysis used numerical descriptive methods: mean, standard deviation, etc. and graphical methods. Results. The sample of women with breast cancer compared to the control sample showed differences in BMI (26.27 vs. 24.45 kg/m2), p=0.001. Conclusion. Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer. This risk factor for breast cancer could be altered by the quality of the diet and by the adoption of an active lifestyle.