Figure 6.

Relevance of BMI to the absolute 10 year breast cancer incidence rate per 100 women at ages 55–64 years in never users and in current users of MHT

Adjusted relative risks for all cancers during 5–14 years of current use were calculated taking never users with a BMI of 25–29 kg/m² as the reference, and then standardising to the incidence rate of breast cancer in never users aged 55–64 years of average weight in western countries (ie, 3 per 100 women; appendix p 17). Separate results for ER+ and ER– breast cancer are shown (both with broken lines) only for never users of MHT (but are shown for current users in the appendix, p 48). BMI groups: <25 kg/m² (lean); 25–30 kg/m² (overweight); and ≥30 kg/m² (obese); incidence is plotted against mean BMI values. BMI=body-mass index. ER+=oestrogen-receptor positive. ER–=oestrogen-receptor negative. MHT=menopausal hormone therapy.