The influence of metabolic syndrome, body weight, and diabetes on triple negative breast cancer prognosis is complicated.
Metabolic syndrome and risk of triple negative breast cancer
Metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by obesity, high blood sugar levels, impaired glucose tolerance, high blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and high blood pressure, is associated with increased risk of triple negative breast cancer. However, when the symptoms of the syndrome were examined separately, high triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and glucose levels, but not hypertension or high body mass index (BMI), were found to have significant independent associations with triple negative breast cancer in one study.
BMI and triple negative breast cancer prognosis
Having been overweight at age 18 has been found to be associated with increased risk of death among women who subsequently develop estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer. On the other hand, the same study and others have reported that higher BMI at diagnosis is not associated with higher breast cancer recurrence and mortality among women with ER- or triple negative disease. However, severe obesity (defined as BMI > 35 kg/m2) might be linked with increased risk of late relapse (breast cancer recurrence five years or more after diagnosis).
Metformin
Generally speaking, use of the anti-diabetic drug metformin in breast cancer patients is associated with reduced breast cancer mortality. However, it is not clear whether metformin use influences survival outcomes in diabetic patients with triple negative breast cancer.
Beta blockers
Use of beta blockers (which are used to treat hypertension, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart failure) is associated with improved relapse-free survival in patients with triple negative breast cancer.
In fact, there is some evidence that beta blocker use during chemotherapy could enhance its effectiveness, especially against triple negative disease. One study found that the beta blocker propranolol (Inderal) had strongest synergistic effects when combined with Taxol in an animal model of triple negative breast cancer.
Below under Selected breast cancer studies are links to studies concerning the influence of BMI, metabolic syndrome and diabetes on triple negative breast cancer prognosis.
Food for Breast Cancer triple negative breast cancer articles
Below are links to all of the other articles concerning triple negative breast cancer.
What should triple negative breast cancer patients and survivors eat?
Latest research concerning triple negative breast cancer prognosis
Prognosis of triple negative breast cancer compared to other breast cancer subtypes
Patterns of recurrence in triple negative breast cancer patients
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Prognosis of African Americans and Latinas with triple negative breast cancer
Triple negative breast cancer prognosis according to age at diagnosis
To see all of the articles, news stories and studies concerning triple negative breast cancer, click on the tripleNegative tag in the list of tags directly below.