Thickening waist holds warning sign of breast cancer: study

阿邱

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- A new study suggested that going up several skirt sizes in midlife could be a warning sign of increased cancer risk.


According to the study quoted by media reports Thursday, women who went up a skirt size every decade after their mid-20s had a 33 percent greater risk of breast cancer after the menopause.


Professor Usha Menon of the Department of Women's Cancer in UK, who led the study, said watching women's skirt size from their mid-20s onward could be a simple way to track weight gain.


The study tracked more than 90,000 women in their 50s and 60s living in England. During the three-year follow-up period, 1,090 women developed breast cancer.


The researchers said the study has some limitations - it relied on women being able to accurately recall their skirt size in their 20s.


But if the findings are confirmed, it could give women a simple and easy-to-understand message about the risks of obesity.


(Agencies)