New study lowers the threshold for body mass index (BMI) levels that could signal an increased risk of endometrial cancer in some Asian women.
- Postmenopausal bleeding can be a sign of endometrial cancer in obese women
- Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for endometrial cancer
- Screening can help women with postmenopausal bleeding start an early treatment
In this study, researchers using the Asian BMI standard for obesity (BMI ? 25 kg/m2) sought to determine the relationship between BMI and a subsequent diagnosis of endometrial cancer in Asian women.
The threshold for being defined as obese in Asian women is lower than that used for classifying white women. Because roughly 90% of postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer have postmenopausal bleeding, the study specifically looked at women who had experienced postmenopausal bleeding. On the basis of the results of the study, the researchers concluded that Asian women with a BMI of more than 25 kg/m2 were 1.57 times (57%) more likely to develop endometrial cancer.
Such results should alert healthcare professionals to be especially vigilant when treating Asian women with postmenopausal bleeding who are obese.
Results are published in the article "Obesity increases endometrial cancer risk in Chinese women with postmenopausal bleeding."
Key takeaways are that all women with postmenopausal bleeding should undergo evaluation, and obesity remains an important and modifiable risk factor for endometrial cancer, with a linear relationship between BMI and endometrial cancer risk," says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.
Source-Eurekalert