Association between body composition and genetic polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor alpha in women with breast cancer

The change in body composition can affect the treatment of women who are undergoing treatment. The increase in body composition may present a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that is determined by the increase in fatty acids, produced by inflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α), which has negative consequences for women with breast cancer. The study aimed to understand the association between body composition and inflammatory processes (TNF-α genetic polymorphism) in women with breast cancer. The research was developed through a literature review. The search was carried out in the SciElo, Pubmed, Lilacs and Google academic databases. 130 articles were found. The selected scientific texts were reduced to 11 for use in the review. There was a predominance of quantitative study design. The strategy used to search for studies were combinations of “oncology”, “polymorphisms”, “obesity”, “body composition” and “inflammatory process”. In the investigations of the high incidence of breast cancer in women and the inflammatory process activated by their own health conditions and treatment, the number of studies found was small. In all studies, the authors confirm that the TNF-α inflammatory process is a fundamental tool for planning cancer care. Future research is needed in order to analyze the habit of life and the environment that the individual is inserted to elucidate the association of altered body composition and breast cancer.