Trends in obesity and comorbid illness in African American and Caucasian females treated for breast cancer.

e12642 Background: Epidemiological estimates demonstrate that there are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. One quarter of these survivors are obese; and African American (AA) women make up the largest group. Weight gain is observed in the female population during the aging process, however, after breast cancer diagnosis, women generally gain weight at a disproportionate rate. This is of concern as obesity negatively influences morbidity, survival, and relapse. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on AA and Caucasian patients. Data was collated by the Center for Research Informatics at the University of Chicago. The query included all AA and Caucasian women treated for breast cancer. The following information was abstracted: age and stage at diagnosis, surgery, history of chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal therapy. Body mass index (BMI) was measured at diagnosis, year 1, year 2, and year 3 along with comorbidities at diagnosis. A total of 100 AA women were matched t...