TY - JOUR AU - Chang, Su-Hsin AU - Pollack, Lisa M. AU - Colditz, Graham A. PY - 2013 TI - Obesity, Mortality, and Life Years Lost Associated With Breast Cancer in Nonsmoking US Women, National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2000 T2 - Preventing Chronic Disease JO - Prev Chronic Dis SP - E186 VL - 10 CY - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. N2 - INTRODUCTION The relationship between obesity and breast cancer has been extensively investigated. However, how obesity and breast cancer interplay to affect mortality and life expectancy of women in the United States has not been well studied. METHODS We used data from the National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2000. Our sample included nonsmoking, nonpregnant women who reported a body mass index of at least 18.5 kg/m2 and no cancer other than breast cancer at the time of the survey. A survival model with Gamma frailty and Gompertz baseline was used to estimate relative risks of total mortality and project life years lost associated with breast cancer by obesity status and age. RESULTS Breast cancer increased risk of mortality depending on degree of obesity and decreased life years by 1 to 12 years depending on race, age, and obesity status. Relative risks for death increased with degree of obesity. Obese women under age 50 across all racial groups were predicted to lose the most life years; racial groups other than whites and blacks lost the most life years (11.9 y), followed by whites (9.8 y) and blacks (9.2 y). CONCLUSION The number of life years lost associated with breast cancer was more marked for more obese than for less obese women and for women under age 50 and women aged 70 or older than for women aged 50 through 69. Public health initiatives should put more emphasis on the prevention and control of obesity for these target populations. SN - 1545-1151 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130112 DO - 10.5888/pcd10.130112 ER -