Understanding the effect of weight on breast cancer risk

What’s the project about?

After smoking, obesity is the leading cause of cancer in the UK. Obesity is also more common in more deprived areas. This leads to more cancer rates and cancer-related deaths in areas which already face inequalities.

The immune system defends the body against infection. Immune cells increase in number when cancer is present. However, cancer-induced immune cells can actually make cancer more aggressive.

Obesity or being overweight also changes these same immune cells in the same way.

Therefore, researchers are starting a 6-year research project looking at how obesity changes immune cells, and how this changes organs within our body. They want to understand how this could increase someone’s risk of developing breast cancer, or having poorer outcomes.

They hope that this research will help them better understand how to prevent and treat primary and secondary breast cancer. They also hope to develop tests that could identify people at higher risk of breast cancer who would benefit from interventions. Ultimately, they hope that this research will decrease the health inequalities certain groups face.

Who’s organising it?

Name of project lead: Dr Cassie Clarke

Job title: Associate Scientist

Organisation: Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute & University of Glasgow

Email address: c.clarke@crukscotlandinstitute.ac.uk

Who can take part?

You can take part if you’ve bene personally affected by breast cancer, whether a personal diagnosis, or that of a loved one.

You do not need to have experience of being overweight or obesity to contribute to this study.

Why do you want me to be involved?

By getting involved, you can make sure that the research study is relevant to the real needs and priorities of people at risk of breast cancer.

Prevention research is also very emotive, and so you can help the researchers understand how to talk about the study sensitively to participants.

What will you ask me to do?

The researchers would like you to join as a patient advocate for their grant application.

This would involve

• reviewing lay summaries of the work provided by the scientific team,
• providing feedback regarding the relevance of the questions, approaches and impacts.

The researchers will use your feedback to shape their plans. Before the research starts, they’ll ask you to be involved whilst they’re creating the grant application. If the grant application is successful, they’ll involve you at annual milestones during the 6 year study.

The team is based in Glasgow, and they’re happy to do online or in-person meetings, depending on where you’re based.

Reasonable travel expenses, and payment provision, will be provided in line with Breast Cancer Now and CRUK Policy

How do I get involved?

If you’re interested in getting involved, please complete the expression of interest form.

You are welcome to step away from the team at any point during this process should you change your mind.

When’s the deadline?

15 December 2025