ASPO Abstracts
Body Compositions and Menopausal Status in Early-stage Breast Cancer Survivors
Category: Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research, Lifestyles Behavior, Energy Balance & Chemoprevention
Conference Year: 2018
Abstract Body:
The menopause transition is associated with changes in lean mass (LM) and body fat distribution such that postmenopausal (Post-M) women experience a greater increase in fat mass (FM) and a greater loss of LM, compared to premenopausal women (Pre-M). In particular, breast cancer survivors (BCS) are susceptible to negative alterations in body composition due to premature treatment-induce menopause and other cancer-related treatments. However, it is unclear as to whether Pre-M and Post-M BCS have different body composition profiles following the completion of cancer treatments. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether body composition, including LM, body fat percentage (BFP), FM, differs among Pre-M and Post-M BCS. Sedentary BCS (stage I-III) who completed cancer treatment within the previous 6 months were recruited from the University of Southern California and Los Angeles County Medical Center as part of a larger ongoing clinical trial. All participants underwent a whole body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to measure LM, BFP, and FM in a temperature-controlled room, after a 4-hour fast and abstinence from alcohol, caffeine, and vitamins. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare LM, BFP and FM between Pre-M and Post-M BCS. Our study sample include 89, primarily Hispanic (64%) BCS including 37 Pre-M and 52 Post-M women. BCS were diagnosed with stage I (37%) or II (32%) breast cancer with a mean age of 52.7±10.4 years and mean BMI of 29.2±5.6 kg/m2. There was no significant difference between Pre-M and Post-M BCS in assessments of LM (Pre-M: 37.9±10.4 kg, Post-M: 39.7±5.2 kg; P=0.34), BFP (Pre-M: 44.27%, Post-M: 44.22%; P=0.97) and FM (Pre-M: 32.2±12.2 kg, Post-M: 32.5±10.2 kg; P=0.97). Body composition is similar among sedentary Pre-M and Post-M BCS. Menopausal status may not affect body composition profiles in BCS as it does in women free from a history of cancer. Future investigations are warranted to characterize body composition profiles across the cancer survivorship continuum.
Keywords: Breast Cancer Survivors, Lean Mass, Fat mass, Menopausal status