Dr. Nitish Acharya, Surgical Oncology, HCG Panda Cancer Hospital, Cuttack
Obesity is caused due to unhealthy amount of fat in the body. It leads to various other medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, etc. The prevalence of the condition is now on the rise to the extent of being the leading health crisis that’s reaching epidemic proportions. One can blame the obsession with junk food among the younger generations, sedentary lifestyles, and stress. People are putting on weight uncontrollably.
Being overweight or obese means one has more fat than muscle and bone. While it may not necessarily affect a -person’s activity levels much, it can be the cause for the development of multiple non-communicable diseases like heart problems, diabetes, hypertension, and even cancer. Not every obese person may be at the risk of developing cancer, but it is now increasingly being seen as a matter of concern for people at the risk of developing cancers.
Obesity and Cancer have a Link
Obesity is a risk factor for cancer. Excess body weight can an increase risk of developing breast cancer or endometrial cancer. How and when you gain weight is crucial. Gaining weight during childhood and teenage years may become a potential risk factor for some cancers that can happen later in life. Pre-menopausal ovarian cancer has a strong co-relation to it. While the link may be a bit complex, there are several possible explanations that suggest the different ways in which obesity could increase the risk of
developing some cancers
Obesity or being overweight can cause chronic and low-level inflammation which can damage the DNA and in turn, cause cancer. Long-term inflammation can lead to uncontrolled growth of cells, thus leading to cancer. For example, chronic gallbladder inflammation can be a risk factor for gallbladder cancer, hepatitis for liver cancer and gastroesophageal reflux for oesophageal cancer.
Excess amount of estrogen produced by adipose or fat tissue is likely to increase the risks of gynecological cancers like breast, endometrial, and ovarian, among others.
While high levels of insulin are common in obese people, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) or insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes. These may trigger colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancers. Factors like excess body weight during birth, dynamic weight gain, and loss, especially during adulthood, can be linked to the development of various cancers.
The cancers with a link to Obesity
- Being overweight can cause the following cancers:
- Prostate cancer
- Breast cancer
- Gallbladder cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Oesophageal cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Meningioma
