Association of visceral and subcutaneous adiposity with tumor and histologic grade in breast cancer

Aims: Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between abdominal fat tissue and the risk of breast cancer and the histological degree of cancer with the help of computed tomography(CT). Methods: This study is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. It consists of patients diagnosed with breast cancer and a control group. Abdominal fat tissue measurements were taken from the navel or 4th lumbar vertebra level using an abdominal CT workstation. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), Fat ratio (FR), and waist circumference measurements were made. The relationship between the obtained measurements and breast cancer, histological grade, and hormone status was analyzed. Results: Forty-one breast cancer patients and forty-two individuals without known diseases were examined. VAT and SAT were found to be higher in patients with breast cancer and it was statistically significant (p<0.05). Estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-negative patients tended to have a higher VAT rate. An increase in VAT and FR in breast cancer patients was found to have a more significant effect in patients with negative hormone receptors than in positive ones (estrogen receptor r:0.585 p<0.05, progesterone receptor r:0.579, p<0.05). Conclusion: The relationship between breast cancer and abdominal adipose tissue has been demonstrated. In addition, a correlation was found between high VAT and FR and histological grade in patients with hormone receptor-negative.