Obesity linked to higher risks of cancers

Researchers in Denmark found that overweight and obesity were associated with higher risks of several common cancers and according to health experts here obesity may worsen the cancer survivor-ship, including quality of life.

According to the study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, there were 20,706 cancers among 313,321 adults diagnosed with overweight and obesity compared with 18,480 cancers that were expected based on information from the general population.

This corresponds to a 12 per cent higher risk associated with overweight and obesity.

Excess body weight or obesity in itself may be a root cause for a number of chronic diseases and some cancers, the health experts said.

Ashish Goel, Associate Director, Surgical Oncology at Jaypee Hospital in Noida said that extra body fat undoubtedly reduces the immune system of the body, and functioning of the hormones and cells which further results in abnormal number of cells and can increase the risk of tumour formation.

“Obesity is a well known predisposing factor for endometrial ovarian breast and stomach cancers and to some extent for kidney cancers,” Goel told IANS.

The study also revealed that having type 2 diabetes or alcoholism-related diseases in addition to overweight or obesity was linked with even higher risks.

The increased risk was seen for cancers previously identified as obesity-related, including pancreatic and postmenopausal breast cancers, as well as for blood and neurological cancers, it added.

“Yes, this is true that, obesity has been associated with an increased risk of various kind of cancers. Also its also proven that the obesity may worsen the cancer survivorship, including quality of life and also increasing the changes of recurrence of the disease,” said J.B. Sharma, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncologist at Action Cancer Hospital in New Delhi.

Sharma added that being overweight has been directly or indirectly linked with liver cancer, thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, kidney cancer, gallbladder cancer, etc.

“Being overweight after menopause also increases breast cancer risk,” he said.