Baseline predictors associated with successful weight loss among breast cancer survivors in the Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition (LEAN) study

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate participant characteristics associated with clinically meaningful weight loss (≥ 5% weight loss) among breast cancer survivors participating in the Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition (LEAN) study. Methods: Female breast cancer survivors with a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 were enrolled in a 6-month weight loss intervention. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine baseline predictors of clinically meaningful weight loss (< vs. ≥ 5%) among those in the intervention arm. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) C-statistic evaluated the final model’s ability to classify weight loss success. Results: Baseline data were available for 77 participants. Having a history of weight gain during breast cancer treatment was associated with lower odds of achieving ≥ 5% weight loss (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.13 – 0.99) compared to women with no history of weight gain during cancer treatment. Conclusion: Breast cancer survivors with overweight or obesity who gained weight during their cancer treatment were less likely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss during a post-treatment weight loss intervention. Implication for Cancer Survivors: Breast cancer survivors are encouraged to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight to minimize the risk for cancer recurrence and comorbidity. Our results indicate that programs aimed at prevention of weight gain during treatment could aid in this goal. Understanding characteristics that increase or decrease the likelihood of achieving clinically meaningful weight loss will inform the design of programs that better support breast cancer survivors’ weight loss success.