Evaluation of the nutritional status and tumor characteristics in premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer patients

Evaluation of the nutritional status, fat tissue distribution, and tumor ch aracteristics was carried out in patients with primary breast cancer. The p atients were classified into two groups according to their menopause: preme nopausal and postmenopausal. Breast cancer prevalence was considerably high er in postmenopausal patients (61%). The patients' nutritional status was s hown through the body mass index. Based on this indicator, the patients wer e characterized as nonobese and obese. In the premenopausal group, there wa s no significant difference between these categories, whereas the number of obese patients was significantly higher (80%) in the postmenopausal group. The analysis of tumor parameters as related to menopause and body size did not yield any significant differences.. However, the estrogen receptor con tent was significantly higher in postmenopausal patients (p < 0.0001). Dist ribution of fat tissue of the android type was higher in obese postmenopaus al women than in premenopausal ones (77%). The investigation showed that th e breast cancer incidence odds are 3.5 times higher in obese postmenopausal than in premenopausal patients.