Obesity after menopause increases our risk of breast cancer, but what are the mechanisms behind this?
US researcher Dr Kirsty Brown gave a great overview of how obesity and breast cancer interact at the cellular level at the December 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
In post-menopausal women, the risk of breast cancer increases by 10% for every 5 BMI units above 25. The evidence for a link with obesity is greatest for oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer.
There is a well known link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk, but can you reduce that risk by stopping or reducing your drinking?
Dr Mary Beth Terry addressed this question at the 2025 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, an annual international research meeting that attracts over 9,000 participants each year. BCAC attended in person and online to bring back information of interest to New Zealanders experiencing breast cancer.
BCAC’s Libby Burgess joined the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Singapore, held over three days in December. The Congress brought together researchers, oncologists and patient advocates from across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and Europe to learn of breakthrough therapies and to advance local cancer care and research.
Libby filed this report on the Patient Advocate Summit at the Congress:
New Zealanders have limited access to breast cancer clinical trials. BCAC’s Libby Burgess was interested to hear how those in other Asia Pacific (APAC) countries fare. Here’s her report on this session at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Singapore.
The ‘right to be forgotten’ refers to the stigma that can accompany a cancer diagnosis resulting in unfair treatment by financial institutions, insurance companies and employers.
BCAC’s Libby Burgess learnt more about this at the European Society for Medical Onocology (ESMO)’s recent Asia Pacific Congress.
BCAC was pleased to see the topics of sex and fertility being discussed at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Singapore as these are important issues for cancer patients that have not always had the attention that they deserve.
Patient input into the assessment of new medicines by Pharmac is an important topic in New Zealand, and BCAC’s Libby Burgess was pleased to hear from others with similar concerns in other Asia Pacific countries at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Singapore.
BCAC’s Libby Burgess caught up with the latest HER2 positive breast cancer research results at the ESMO Asia Pacific Congress in Singapore this December.
BCAC’s Libby Burgess was pleased to meet up with advanced breast cancer expert Fatima Cardoso at the ESMO Asia Pacific Congress in Singapore this December.
BCAC’s Libby Burgess caught up with the latest HR positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer research results at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Pacific Congress in Singapore this December.
