Weight gain in women with breast cancer treated with adjuvant cyclophosphomide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil. Analysis of resting energy expenditure and body composition

Background. Weight gain is a common side effect observed in women undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Among possible causes a direct effect of chemotherapy on metabolism has been proposed. Body composition variations after adjuvant chemotherapy suggest the occurrence of sarcopenic obesity, possibly due to ovarian failure. We investigated acute and chronic effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on body weight, resting energy expenditure (REE) and plasma catecholamines in a group of menopausal women.