Overweight, obesity and cancer risk

Overweight and obesity are two conditions that reflect the accumulation of excess fat in the body. This can lead to a number of health problems, including an increased risk of cancer.

Obesity is a condition in which the body distributes an unhealthy amount of fat. To measure obesity, experts often use a scale known as body mass index (BMI). This method of measurement will be calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by their height (in meters) squared (usually expressed in kilograms/m2).
Through BMI, we can measure obesity more accurately than based on the usual weight index. In addition, now a number of other measurements that help reflect the distribution of body fat are also being widely used along with BMI to determine obesity and related disease risks. overweight, obese. These measurements include waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (waist circumference divided by hip circumference).
Below are the standard weight categories based on BMI for adults 20 years of age and older:

Compared with people of normal weight, people who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer. Excessive obesity or severe alarm can also increase the risk of death.

There are now many studies focusing on the evidence on the link between obesity and cancer risk. However, the data from these studies have not been able to definitively establish that obesity is a cause of cancer.
The reason why people who are obese or overweight are different from thin people not only in the distribution of body fat but also in a few other aspects that can also be the cause of an increased risk of cancer.
However, it cannot be denied that excessively high body fat intake is more or less associated with the risk of several cancers, including:
Endometrial cancer : in general, women Overweight and obese women are two to four times more likely to develop endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus) than women of normal weight. Even extremely obese women are about seven times more likely to develop this common cancer. In addition, the risk of endometrial cancer is also significantly increased as you gain weight in adulthood, especially in women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy.
Esophageal adenocarcinoma: people who are overweight or obese are more than twice as likely to develop a type of esophageal cancer, known as esophageal adenocarcinoma, than those who are overweight. normal weight.
Gastric cardia: gastric cardia is the upper part of the stomach and closest to the esophagus. People who are overweight or obese are nearly twice as likely to develop stomach cancer than people of normal weight.

Liver cancer : Similarly, people who are overweight and obese will have twice the risk of liver cancer compared to people of normal weight. In addition, the link between obesity and liver cancer tends to be stronger in men than in women.
Kidney cancer: the risk of kidney cell cancer in people who are overweight or obese is almost double that of people of normal weight. However, the association between renal cell cancer and obesity appears to be independent of its relationship to high blood pressure, another risk factor for kidney cancer.
Multiple myeloma: Compared with people of normal weight, people who are overweight or obese have a slightly increased risk of developing multiple myeloma of 10-20%. Meningioma: the risk of a slow-growing brain tumor (which arises in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord) is increased by about 50% in obese people and about 20% in overweight people. Pancreatic cancer: people who are overweight or obese are about 1.5 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than people of normal weight.
Colorectal cancer: obese people have a slightly higher risk (about 30%) of colorectal cancer than people of normal weight
In addition, a high BMI will also increase the risk of colorectal cancer. There is an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer in both men and women, but men generally have a higher incidence than women.
Gallbladder cancer: Compared with people of normal weight, people who are overweight have a slightly increased risk of gallbladder cancer by about 20%, while those who are obese have a 60% increased risk of developing gallbladder cancer. this cancer. The increase in risk is usually higher in women than in men. Breast cancer: Some studies have shown that postmenopausal women with a high BMI may have an increased risk of breast cancer. For example, a 5 unit increase in BMI increases the risk of breast cancer by 12%. Among postmenopausal women, those who are obese have a 20-40% increased risk of developing breast cancer compared with normal-weight women. This risk is even higher for women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy. Besides, the risk of breast cancer is not an exception in obese men. Ovarian cancer: A high BMI may slightly increase the risk of ovarian cancer, especially in women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy. For example, a 5 unit increase in BMI increases the risk of breast cancer in these women by 10%.
Thyroid cancer: A high BMI (increase of 5 units) slightly increases the risk of thyroid cancer by about 10%.

People who are obese often have chronic rheumatoid arthritis, which over time damages DNA and leads to cancer. In general, people who are overweight and obese are more likely to have a disease or disorder that causes localized chronic inflammation. It is also a leading risk factor for some cancers.
For example, chronic local inflammation due to gastroesophageal reflux disease or Barrett's esophagus are common predisposing factors for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. On the other hand, obesity is also a risk factor for gallstones – a condition characterized by chronic cholecystitis. Liver cancers are usually caused by chronic ulcerative colitis or hepatitis.
In the human body, adipose tissue is responsible for the production of estrogen. When estrogen levels exceed the necessary levels, it can increase the risk of breast, endometrial, ovarian and some other cancers. In addition, overweight and obese people often have increased blood levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). When levels of these two substances are higher than normal, they can promote the development of colon, kidney, prostate and endometrial cancers.
In addition, the body's fat cells have the ability to produce the hormone adipokine, which stimulates or inhibits the growth of cells. For example, the hormone leptin (an energy expenditure hormone- belonging to adipokine) can promote cell proliferation in the blood when body fat is increased. Meanwhile, another hormone produced from adipose tissue, adiponectin, has an anti-proliferative effect.

Adipocytes can also act directly or indirectly on other cell growth regulators, including the mammalian target rapamycin (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase.
Several other mechanisms implicated in obesity may influence cancer risk, including changes in the mechanical properties of the barrier surrounding breast cells and immune responses acting on the beta system nuclear factor kappa and oxidative stress.

Several studies have shown that losing weight or avoiding weight gain can reduce the risk of breast, endometrial, colon and prostate cancers. In addition, obese people who have undergone bariatric surgery appear to have a lower risk of obesity-related cancers than obese individuals who do not have this surgery.

In fact, obesity can worsen several aspects of a patient's cancer survival, including quality of life, cancer recurrence, cancer progression, and prognosis. quality of life.
For example, obesity is associated with an increased risk of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. People who are obese after prostate cancer treatment may also experience urinary incontinence.
In a large clinical trial of patients with stage II and stage III rectal cancer, it was found that those with a high BMI (especially men) had an increased risk of local recurrence. higher than in other patients. In addition, the likelihood of dying from multiple myeloma in people with the highest levels of obesity may be 50% higher than in people of normal weight.
Periodic health check-ups help detect diseases early, thereby planning treatment for optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy.
The results of the patient's examination will be returned to the home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties right at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.

Reference source: cancer.net; cdc.gov