July 15, 2008--When an OB/GYN conquered her own weight problem, it helped her doctors find a tiny breast cancer that would not have been detectable in her overweight condition. Among the many health advantages of weight loss, more effective cancer screening is one that is rarely reported. Recent research concludes that women who are overweight are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer tumor.

"My weight loss made the cancer detectable at a much earlier stage, which is known to be the most important factor for a cure," said Dr. Jeannine Cobb, an Andover, KS obstetrician/gynecologist.

Dr. Cobb and her colleagues, Kim Leabo and Jill Nitcher (nurse practitioner and RN respectively) were looking for a weight loss program for Dr. Cobb, liked what they saw in |medi|, and ended up opening their own clinic. However, being overweight herself, Dr. Cobb knew she would have to "walk the walk" to open up a medically supervised weight loss program. She set a goal of losing sixty pounds by the time she turned sixty years old, but she beat that goal by six months. In fact, to date she has lost 94 pounds and is close to her desired weight. She also believes the change is permanent.

"With the help of this program, I am confident that I can stay at my goal weight. I am feeling great and can now do things around the house and with my grandchildren that I never dreamed of doing before the program. I am determined to never go back to before," said Dr. Cobb.

Early cancer detection was the unexpected dividend of her weight loss. A small growth was found during her routine mammogram. It turned out to be cancer.

"My doctors believe, as I do, that the cancer was so small that it would not have been found if I had not lost over 90 pounds," said Dr. Cobb. The weight loss also helped her to get moving much sooner after her surgery.

America's weight problem is called an epidemic by the National Institutes of Health. Two out of three people are overweight. Obesity increases risk for many serious diseases (link). Americans spend $59 billion a year trying to lose weight and $80 billion a year for healthcare directly related to obesity. Studies have reached three related conclusions (references below):

• Increasing obesity is causing increasing difficulties in medical imaging.
• Higher body mass index (BMI) results in poorer medical images.
• Overweight correlates with a more advanced stage of breast cancer at diagnosis.

A study presented July 7 at the Population Health Congress in Brisbane, Australia concluded that women who are overweight are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer tumor. University of Melbourne researcher Dr. Anne Cust said, "Women with insulin resistance or who were overweight were less likely to be diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancers but at greater risk of being diagnosed with stage 2 to 4 tumors – larger, more advanced cancers."

What does this mean for women right now? According to Dr. Edward Zbella, Medical Director of |medi|, "These findings strengthen the concern raised by earlier research. A more advanced stage of breast cancer at diagnosis is likely due to poor early detection in overweight women during routine screenings and/or to a more aggressive form of cancer. In any case, overweight women face greater risk and should strongly consider seeking the help of medical professionals to reach and maintain a healthy weight."

Dr. Cobb is trying to help others enjoy the life-saving benefits of weight loss, which include lower risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease. "This has truly changed my life. Now, I hope to pass on to my |medi| patients the sense of accomplishment, hope, and life improvement that I have received," said Dr. Cobb.

References

University of Melbourne (July 7, 2008). "Overweight, insulin resistant women at greater risk of advanced breast cancer diagnosis, says study". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-07-14. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/uom-oir070708.php

Schuster, Sydney, "Obesity Forces Radiology to Supersize, Enhance X-ray Technology," AuntMinnie.com, http://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=spt&sub=tir&pag=dis&itemID=74568

Guest, Amy Rochester, Helvie, Mark A., Chan, Heang-Ping, Hadjiiski, Lubomir M., Bailey, Janet E., Roubidoux, Marilyn A., "Adverse Effects of Increased Body Weight on Quantitative Measures of Mammographic Image Quality," Am. J. Roentgenol. 2000 175: 805-810. http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/abstract/175/3/805

Hunt, Karen A., Sickles, Edward A., "Effect of Obesity on Screening Mammography: Outcomes Analysis of 88,346 Consecutive Examinations," Am. J. Roentgenol. 2000 174: 1251-1255. http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/abstract/174/5/1251