Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Body mass index and breast cancer survival: a Mendelian randomization analysis

  • Qi Guo
  • , Stephen Burgess
  • , Constance Turman
  • , Manjeet K Bolla
  • , Qin Wang
  • , Michael Lush
  • , Jean Abraham
  • , Kristiina Aittomäki
  • , Irene L Andrulis
  • , Carmel Apicella
  • , Volker Arndt
  • , Myrto Barrdahl
  • , Javier Benitez
  • , Christine D Berg
  • , Carl Blomqvist
  • , Stig E Bojesen
  • , Bernardo Bonanni
  • , Judith S Brand
  • , Hermann Brenner
  • , Annegien Broeks
  • Barbara Burwinkel, Carlos Caldas, Daniele Campa, Federico Canzian, Jenny Chang-Claude, Stephen J Chanock, Suet-Feung Chin, Fergus J Couch, Angela Cox, Simon S Cross, Cezary Cybulski, Kamila Czene, Hatef Darabi, Peter Devilee, W Ryan Diver, Alison M Dunning, Helena M Earl, Diana M Eccles, Arif B Ekici, Mikael Eriksson, D Gareth Evans, Peter A Fasching, Jonine Figueroa, Dieter Flesch-Janys, Henrik Flyger, Susan M Gapstur, Mia M Gaudet, Graham G Giles, David J Hunter, Jose I A Perez, kConFab/AOCS Investigators

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)
264 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: There is increasing evidence that elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with reduced survival for women with breast cancer. However, the underlying reasons remain unclear. We conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate a possible causal role of BMI in survival from breast cancer.

Methods: We used individual-level data from six large breast cancer case-cohorts including a total of 36 210 individuals (2475 events) of European ancestry. We created a BMI genetic risk score (GRS) based on genotypes at 94 known BMI-associated genetic variants. Association between the BMI genetic score and breast cancer survival was analysed by Cox regression for each study separately. Study-specific hazard ratios were pooled using fixed-effect meta-analysis.

Results: BMI genetic score was found to be associated with reduced breast cancer-specific survival for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive cases [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.11, per one-unit increment of GRS, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.22, P = 0.03). We observed no association for ER-negative cases (HR = 1.00, per one-unit increment of GRS, 95% CI 0.89-1.13, P = 0.95).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest a causal effect of increased BMI on reduced breast cancer survival for ER-positive breast cancer. There is no evidence of a causal effect of higher BMI on survival for ER-negative breast cancer cases.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1814-1822
Number of pages9
JournalInternational Journal of Epidemiology
Volume46
Issue number6
Early online date9 Oct 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2017

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

  • Body mass index
  • breast cancer survival
  • Mendelian randomization
  • epidemiology
  • genetics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Body mass index and breast cancer survival: a Mendelian randomization analysis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this