Does Bariatric Surgery Affect the Incidence of Breast Cancer Development? A Systematic Review

We reviewed the evidence for bariatric surgery reducing the risk of breast cancer. Data was extracted from multiple libraries, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Medline, to perform a systematic review. Abstracts were reviewed by two independent reviewers. Thirty-eight full-text articles were identified from 1171 abstracts. Four studies were included for meta-analysis; 114 of 10,533 (1.1%) patients receiving bariatric surgery versus 516 of 20,130 (2.6%) controls developed breast cancer, odds ratio 0.564 (95% CI 0.453 to 0.702) using a fixed effects model ( P < 0.001) and odds ratio 0.585 (95% CI 0.247 to 1.386) using a random effects model ( P 0.223). Bariatric surgery may reduce the risk of breast cancer. More research is required due to heterogeneity of studies, difficulty in identifying accurate controls, and limited follow-up.