Evidence mapPaperPMID 39476311Full record

SynthesisBreast cancer research and treatment2025

Continental differences in the association between excess body weight and prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

Larissa Vaz-Goncalves, Melinda M Protani, Jodi M Saunus, Graham A Colditz, Marina M Reeves

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Synthesis in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Larissa Vaz-GoncalvesSchool of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3316-5314
Melinda M ProtaniSchool of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6452-7571
Jodi M SaunusMater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4604-4709
Graham A ColditzDivision of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7307-0291
Marina M ReevesSchool of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. marina.reeves@uq.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3052-2013

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe association between obesity and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) prognosis has been equivocal, with considerable heterogeneity between and within studies. Recent meta-analyses report adverse associations with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in TNBC. We update this evidence and examine study- and disease-specific sources of heterogeneity.

methodsA systematic search of four databases was conducted until February 22, 2023. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to pool hazard ratios (HR) for OS, DFS, and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM). Subgroup analyses examined sources of study heterogeneity.

resultsIn meta-analyses of included studies (n = 33), significant associations were observed between excess body weight and worse OS (n = 24; HR = 1.20; 95%CI 1.20-1.34), DFS (n = 26; HR = 1.15; 1.05-1.27), and BCSM (n = 9; HR = 1.13; 1.00-1.27). In subgroup meta-analyses, significant inter-study survival differences were observed for study location (OS, DFS), time period of diagnoses (DFS), menopausal status (OS), and body mass index cut points examined (OS). Asian and European studies reported significant associations with OS (HR = 1.31; 1.11-1.54 and HR = 1.38; 1.00-1.89, respectively) and DFS (HR = 1.28; 1.07-1.54 and HR = 1.44; 1.13-1.84, respectively); however, no association was observed between obesity and TNBC prognosis in North American studies (OS: HR = 1.03; 0.89-1.19; DFS: HR = 1.05; 0.95-1.15). Location subgroup differences remained robust after excluding poor-quality studies. Post hoc analysis in the subset of studies reporting predominantly (≥ 70%) White sample showed no statistically significant associations for OS (HR = 1.13; 95%CI 0.96, 1.34), DFS (HR = 1.03; 95%CI 0.86, 1.23), or BCSM (HR = 1.08; 95%CI 0.91, 1.27).

conclusionThis study further confirms that obesity is associated with poor prognosis in TNBC and identified subgroups at higher risk. Ethnic differences in the association between excess body weight and TNBC are reported. Further exploration of study and patient characteristics is needed to properly understand the populations most at risk.

Indexed as

ObesityTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsBody Mass IndexFemaleHumansPrognosisBreast cancer subtypeEthnicityObesitySurvival

Identifiers

PMID39476311

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.