Obesity and Cancer

Further Evidence in Link between Cancer and Obesity

There has been further evidence produced regarding the link between obesity and cancer. It is currently thought that 13 forms of cancer are associated with obesity and in the UK more than 1 in 20 cancer cases are linked to obesity.

Two new studies have shed further light on these links.

2 UK Studies Show Increased Cancer Risks

Epidemiologists working at the University of Oxford have linked obesity to prostate cancer for the first time. Utilising data from the UK Biobank Study, they found that overweight men increased their risk of dying from prostate cancer by 7%. Interestingly, they found a link between the waistline size and the risk of prostate cancer. Another study from the University of Glasgow, found that abdominal obesity in women doubled the risk of endometrial cancer.

There is also evidence that whenever people gain weight can have an impact on cancer risk, for example, women who gain weight in their third decade of life are considered at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. It is thought that this increased risk of cancer is related to chronic inflammatory state that, increasingly, is being recognised as one of the consequences of long term obesity. There is also evidence that this inflammatory state in turn impacts on hormones such as insulin and estrogen.

The good news is that losing weight at any age can reduce subsequent risk of cancer. The scientists from the University of Oxford discovered that reducing BMI by 5 points would prevent 1,300 prostate cancers in the UK per year and studies have shown that weight loss can reduce postmenopausal cancer by between 25-40%.

If you are interested in discussing options for weight loss, both medical and surgical, feel free to contact the Practice and we can provide a free consultation with Shirley Lockie, our SCOPE certified PNSA, Perioperative Nurse Surgical Assistant as a first step.