Association between body mass index and clinical characteristics, as well as with management, in Chinese patients with breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: Body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor associated with breast cancer in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to identify the associations of BMI with clinical characteristics and management of breast cancer in female Chinese patients. METHODS: Clinicopathological information on 1296 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer was collected at our hospital. We recorded the clinicopathological characteristics, molecular phenotypes, manner of diagnosis, implementation rate of preoperative examinations, and surgical method used. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the tumor size, disease stage, manner of diagnosis, implementation rate of preoperative examinations, and the surgical method among different BMI groups. In premenopausal patients, significant differences were found in the distribution of molecular phenotypes and surgical approach among different BMI groups. In postmenopausal patients, different BMI groups showed significant differences in the tumor size, disease stage, distribution of molecular phenotypes, manner of diagnosis, rate of implementation of preoperative mammography, and surgical method. CONCLUSION: Higher BMI is associated with a larger tumor size, more advanced disease stage, diagnosis by physical examination, higher implementation rate of preoperative examinations, and lower radical surgery rate in Chinese women with breast cancer. However, the relationship between BMI and molecular phenotypes differs between pre- and postmenopausal women.