TAIPEI: A bariatric surgery study linked early sleeve gastrectomy to a 20% lower five-year breast cancer risk. Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital led the research.
The peer-reviewed journal “The Breast” published the findings online on June 16, 2026. The paper carries the DOI 10.1016/j.breast.2026.104845.
The bariatric surgery study examined TriNetX records from 4,439,072 women. The data covered 19 countries, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Each participant had a body mass index above 35.
Researchers compared surgery within six months, six to 12 months and one to three years after diagnosis. They matched surgical patients with nonsurgical controls. Matching covered demographics, other illnesses, BMI and blood-sugar levels.
Early surgery produced a breast cancer risk ratio of 0.799. The 95% confidence interval ranged from 0.647 to 0.987. The result was statistically significant at P=.037.
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Researchers found no significant reduction in the 6- to 12-month group. The delayed group showed higher recorded incidence, with a risk ratio of 1.404. The authors said increased medical surveillance could partly explain that result.
First author Kian-Hwee Chong works as an attending surgeon at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital. He told CNA that timing distinguished this research from earlier studies.
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The retrospective observational design shows an association. It does not prove that early surgery prevented cancer. Patients still require individual assessment of surgical benefits, complications and alternatives.
