Prolonged Obesity Enhances the Risk of Cancer in Women

Latest research has revealed that longer periods of being overweight can multiply the odds of certain types of cancers in females, particularly the ones that have an association with obesity. This research was based on a large cross-sectional study carried out in women who had reached menopause. 

The study was carried out by a group of researchers and was headed by Melina Arnold, PhD, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyons, France. The basic aim of this research was to study the effects of prolonged obesity on the risk of cancers in postmenopausal women. The research was subsequently published in PLoS Medicine.

The researchers analyzed the data of 73,913 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 to 79 years at the time of recruitment for the study. This cohort group was followed up for a mean interval of 12.6 years. By the end of the study, 6301 obesity-related cancers had been identified in these women. 

About 40% of the women were found to have normal Body Mass Index (BMI). The remaining 60% of the women were found to be overweight for almost 30 years and of these women, nearly half were found to have morbid obesity for an average of 20 years. 

Obesity: A Risk Factor for Cancer

The investigators found out that in adult women, every 10 years of being obese increases the risk of developing cancer by 7% (hazard ratio: 1.07). The highest risk posed by obesity was that of endometrial cancer-a staggering17%-which is one of the most common obesity-related cancers in females. For every 10 years with a BMI of more than 10% over the normal body weight for height, the odds of endometrial cancer increased by 37%. A distinct dose-response relationship was observed between obesity and the risk of endometrial cancer in women. 

The second highest risk (16%) was found to be that of kidney cancer. Breast cancer is another of the common cancers for which obesity is one of the most significant risk factors. It was observed that long durations of being overweight increase the risk of breast cancer by almost 5%. Colon cancer was also demonstrated to have a significant causal relationship with the duration of being obese. Other types of cancers like rectal, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, ovarian, and thyroid cancers were found to have lesser correlation with obesity. 

READ How to Prevent Childhood Obesity

The Future Prospects

Significant data already exists that highlights the association between obesity and chronic illnesses like diabetes, stroke, gall bladder diseases, cardiovascular disorders etc. This study is the first of its kind to quantify and to prove the relationship between long-term obesity and cancer risk. 

This study emphasizes the need to control the body weight in women. This study has paved ground for mass-level preventive and educational programs in women in order to keep the body mass index under strict check so that the risk of cancer can be controlled. This study has also given rise to a need to carry out similar investigations in male population so that preventable risk factors like obesity can be identified and controlled in time.