A new study has reported that weight gain of at least 5% is common among Chinese breast cancer survivors during the first three years after diagnosis. The study included 5,014 women with stage 0-III breast cancer in the Shanghai breast cancer survival study. Participants were recruited between 2002 and 2006 and followed up for three years after diagnosis. The median weight change six months and 36 months after diagnosis was only 1.0 kg (2.2 lbs). However, approximately 26% of the survivors gained at least 5% of their at-diagnosis body weight during the first six months after diagnosis and 33% of the participants gained at least 5% after three years.

Greater weight gain was found among women who had lower body mass index at diagnosis, had more advanced disease stage, were younger, were premenopausal, had one or more disorders in addition to breast cancer, or who had been treated with chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The authors conclude that weight gain is common during the first three years after breast cancer diagnosis among Chinese women.