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A new article by scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions strengthens the existing evidence that being overweight or obese during adulthood increases the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Importantly, these findings also show that this risk is significantly higher among women with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than among those without CVD. The results were published in the journal Cancer.
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis using individual participant data from two of the largest European prospective cohorts: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank cohorts. The study included 168 547 postmenopausal women who had not been diagnosed with cancer, type 2 diabetes, or CVD at the time of recruitment, and who were followed up for about a decade.
The results showed that among women without CVD, the relative risk of breast cancer increased by 13% for every 4.5 kg/m² increase in body mass index (BMI). However, among women with CVD, the corresponding increase in breast cancer risk was 31%, demonstrating a markedly stronger association between obesity and breast cancer risk in this subgroup. In contrast, the relationship between BMI and breast cancer risk did not differ substantially between women with and without type 2 diabetes.
These findings suggest that preventing obesity among postmenopausal women with CVD may lead to greater reductions in breast cancer incidence compared with the general population. Furthermore, the results could support the development of risk-stratified breast cancer prevention and screening strategies, particularly targeting women with CVD.
The research was funded by World Cancer Research Fund.
Fontvieille E, Jansana A, Peruchet-Noray L, Córdova R, Gan Q, Rinaldi S, et al.
Body mass index and breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women with and without cardiometabolic diseases: findings from two prospective cohort studies in Europe
Cancer. Published online 7 July 2025;
https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35911
