Obesity's Role in Breast Cancer Invasion

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma, including co-lead authors Bethany Hannaford>>> and Elizabeth Wellberg>>>, and first author Cole Hladik>>>, published a study in The Journal of Pathology revealing how obesity changes early-stage breast cancer to become invasive. The study found that in women with obesity, the cancer environment becomes more inflamed, tumor cells better survive stress, and cellular metabolism changes. They also identified higher levels of the enzyme Sulfatase 2>>> in tumor cells of women with obesity, suggesting its role in cancer progression. This research, funded by OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center>>>, OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center>>>, and utilizing United States — National Institutes of Health>>> resources, aims to improve the prediction and treatment of breast cancer, potentially reducing overtreatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The rising obesity rates in the United States>>> underscore the importance of these findings.