Uncovering the links between obesity and breast cancer
18 November 2024
Peter Mac Associate Professor Kara Britt has been awarded a World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) grant of nearly $700,000 to investigate key links between obesity and breast cancer.
As obesity rates continue to rise, so does the risk of breast cancer—especially among postmenopausal women. In developed countries, nearly 40 per cent of women over the age of 50 are now considered obese, and studies have shown that obesity significantly increases the risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive (hormonally driven) breast cancer.
The research team, led by A/Prof Kara Britt (second from right)
“With breast cancer incidence continuing to increase and now impacting one in seven women, we need to unravel the biological and molecular determinants of risk so we can develop precision preventatives for those most at risk,” Associate Professor Britt said.
“This project funding will allow me to define how postmenopausal obesity doubles the risk of developing hormonally driven breast cancer and will provide the first crucial step toward creating prevention strategies for women at risk of developing breast cancer."
Whilst we know that excess fat in the body can lead to an increased risk of breast, as well as many other cancers, the precise mechanisms behind this connection remain unclear.
This research, led by a multi-disciplinary team of experts in clinical care, obesity, metabolism, immunology and breast cancer, will address this critical gap in our understanding by explore how obesity affects the normal breast tissue at the cellular and genetic levels.
The team will analyse breast tissue samples from both obese and lean postmenopausal women undergoing breast reduction surgery, examining key factors such as breast epithelial cells (where cancer often begins) and immune cells (which protect against cancer).
Additionally, the team will investigate whether treatments for obesity, like the widely used anti-obesity drug Ozempic, can help reduce breast cancer risk by promoting weight loss and reversing some of the obesity-driven changes in breast tissue.
“The long-term goal of our research is to help to motivate women to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy BMI to reduce their breast cancer risk. We hope to do this by informing them of the way that obesity drives cancer formation in the breast,” Associate Professor Britt said.
“To complement this, we are also focussed on developing personalised therapies that are specific to their situation that can block obesity-driven breast cancer and be delivered with minimal side effects in these otherwise well women.”
This grant will be funded by Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds (WKOF), a member of the WCRF network, and administered by World Cancer Research Fund International.