A weight-loss coaching intervention delivered by phone led to patients with breast cancer losing significantly more weight at 1 year compared with a control group, according to recent research presented at the ASCO 2023 Annual Meeting. 

The phase 3 Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) trial evaluated 3,181 women with breast cancer randomized to receive either a phone-based weight loss coaching intervention involving caloric restriction and exercise in addition to health education or health education alone.  

Participants in the trial were a mean 53.4 years old at baseline, had a mean BMI of 34.5 kg/m2, 57% were postmenopausal, and 80% were White.  

The participants were enrolled 14 months after receiving a diagnosis of stage II or stage III HER2 breast cancer after they had completed chemotherapy and radiation. Investigators compared weight changes in the intervention and control groups, using variables such as participant weight at baseline, menopausal status, race and ethnicity, and HR status. 

At 12 months, the researchers had data from 2,293 participants. The results showed a significant improvement in weight loss from baseline in the group that received the phone-based coaching compared with the control group that received health education alone (4.8% vs 0.8%; P < .0001).  

The phone-based weight loss intervention was significant regardless of the participants’ menopausal status (P < .0001), race and ethnicity (P < .0001), and HR status (P < .0001). However, postmenopausal, Black, and non-Black/non-Hispanic subgroups appeared to benefit significantly from the intervention compared to other subgroups. 

“We know that being overweight increases one’s risk for breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence, but we don’t yet know whether weight loss can reverse the effects and improve outcomes. Weight loss in any capacity is challenging to obtain and sustain. This study demonstrates that consistent health coaching by telephone—a more accessible, cost-effective approach compared to in-person programs—can significantly help patients with breast cancer lose weight over one year and is effective across diverse groups of patients. We anxiously await longer-term follow up to see whether this weight reduction will ultimately improve outcomes for these patients,” wrote Elizabeth Anne Comen, MD, a breast oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 

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References: 

https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/223191 

Disclosures: Some authors declared financial ties to drugmakers. See full study for details.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images. 

By Jeff Craven, MD /alert Contributor