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Background: A breast cancer diagnosis has been suggested as a teachable moment when a woman is more open to making healthier lifestyle changes. Little is known about the health behaviour changes women with breast cancer initiate compared to those made by other women., Material and Methods: We examined changes in body mass index (BMI) and tobacco and alcohol consumption among women with a diagnosis of breast cancer and among cancer-free women. We used data from 23 420 women aged 50-64 years who participated in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort, of whom 449 were diagnosed with breast cancer between baseline (1993-1997) and follow-up (2000-2002), and 22 971 remained cancer-free. We used multiple linear regression analysis to examine differences in BMI and alcohol and tobacco consumption between the two groups and to examine whether demographic and prognostic factors were associated with behavioural changes in women with breast cancer., Results: There were no significant differences in changes in BMI, alcohol and tobacco consumption between the two groups. Only in sub-analyses among women who lost weight between baseline and follow-up, women with breast cancer lost more weight than cancer-free women (β = 0.2; CI 0.1; 0.4), but residual confounding from stage cannot be excluded. Among the women with breast cancer we found no significant changes in BMI, alcohol and tobacco consumption by level of education, marital status, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation., Conclusion: Women with breast cancer did not reduce their BMI, or modify their alcohol use or tobacco consumption compared with cancer-free women. This study indicates that guidelines and interventions to change health behaviour are needed after a cancer diagnosis.

Background: Health behaviour changes may improve the quality of life and survival among cancer survivors. We prospectively examined changes in health behaviour among and between men with prostate cancer (PC), men with cancers other than PC and cancer-free men., Methods: We analysed data for 20 914 men (50-65 years), 426 with cancer, and 20 488 persons who were cancer-free between baseline (1993-1997) and follow-up (2000-2002) in multiple linear regression models to determine differences in changes in body mass index (BMI) and in alcohol and tobacco consumption., Results: Body mass index and tobacco and alcohol consumption decreased significantly (P<0.001) between baseline and follow-up among both men with cancer and cancer-free men. Men with cancers other than PC significantly decreased their BMI (β=-058; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.77, -0.40) and tobacco consumption (β=-1.36; 95% CI: -2.22, -0.49) compared with cancer-free men and were significantly more likely to quit smoking and lose weight., Conclusion: Men with cancers other than PC decreased their tobacco consumption and BMI significantly more than cancer-free men. Men with cancer do change their health behaviour; clinicians should take this into account in planning follow-up care for cancer survivors.

Background: Clinical reports have raised concern about local complications following breast implantation used in reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, but there is a shortage of epidemiological studies in this area., Objective: To assess in a prospective epidemiological manner the occurrence of short-term local complications in a nationwide implantation registry., Design, Setting, and Participants: The Danish Registry for Plastic Surgery of the Breast prospectively collects preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative information on Danish women undergoing breast augmentation. Through the registry, we collected data on short-term local complications among 574 women who underwent postmastectomy reconstruction with breast implants from June 1, 1999, through July 24, 2003., Main Outcome Measures: Complication incidence rates., Results: Thirty-one percent of the women who underwent initial implantation developed at least 1 adverse event. Forty-nine percent of the adverse events occurred within 3 months after implantation and 67% within 6 months. Surgical intervention was required after initial implantation among 21% of women, most frequently because of capsular contracture, asymmetry, or displacement of the implant. Thirty-six percent of women who underwent subsequent implantation experienced at least 1 adverse event, and 21% underwent surgical intervention to treat definitive complications or to optimize cosmetic result., Conclusions: Women who undergo postmastectomy breast implantation frequently experience short-term local complications. Surgical or medical intervention is commonly required during the reconstructive course, but reconstruction failure (loss of implant) is rare. However, when weighing benefits and risks associated with reconstruction, the patient should consider that breast reconstruction is a process involving planned and unplanned supplementary surgical correction to achieve the desired result.