One skirt size increase every 10 years elevates breast cancer risk

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the journal BMJ Open, women whose skirt size increases one size every 10 years between their mid-20s and mid-60s have a 33% increased risk for developing breast cancer after menopause.

Researchers at University College London in London, United Kingdom, surveyed 92,834 women aged 50-69 years who were involved with the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening about their present and previous skirt sizes. No participants had been diagnosed with breast cancer. On average, women had a skirt size of 8 at age 25 and a skirt size of 10 at age 64.

The researchers followed up with the women for 3 years and during that period, 1,090 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. The researchers estimated that the 5-year absolute risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women increases with every one skirt size increase every 10 years.

In addition to the 33% increased risk for postmenopausal women whose skirt size increases one unit every decade, women whose skirt size increases two units every 10 years had a 77% increased risk for developing breast cancer post-menopause. They also found that body mass index did not help improve the prediction risk.