Healthy weight, key to reducing cancer risk

The head of the Endocrinology Service and head of the Obesity Unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid – Hospiten, Marcos Lahera, considers it essential promote health by maintaining an adequate weight and preventing obesitysince, in his opinion, its control contributes “both to reducing the risk of cancer and to protecting health in general.”

From MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid – Hospiten they highlight that the scientific evidence that links obesity with cancer is becoming more solid. They emphasize that it has also been shown that weight loss has a beneficial effect on the prevention and prognosis of this disease. Currently, at least 13 types of cancer are associated with obesity, according to studies published in journals such as The Lancetwhich have analyzed more than a million people.

Obesity is characterized by a excess dysfunctional body fat. Adipose tissue in this state produces inflammatory cytokines that generate, among others, chronic inflammation or insulin resistance.

“This pro-inflammatory state can break cellular DNA and promote tumor growth. Likewise, adipose tissue increases the synthesis of estrogen through certain enzymes, which stimulates hormone-dependent tumors. Hyperinsulinemia and increased insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) also act as tumor promoters. Other mechanisms involved include alterations in hormones such as leptin and resistin, as well as intestinal dysbiosis, which facilitates the entry of bacteria and increases the risk of cancer,” says Lahera.

At the same time, in a study with 900,000 patients Different types of cancer, their diagnosis and mortality in people with obesity were evaluated, identifying 13 types clearly associated with this condition. Among them, the most common is endometrial cancer, whose relationship with obesity increases proportionally to the degree of excess weight: 1.5 times the risk in overweight, 2.5 in grade I obesity and up to 7 times in grade III obesity.

Hormone-dependent tumors, such as endometrium, ovary and breast (the latter especially in postmenopausal women), present a high risk due to the increase in estrogen produced by adipose tissue. Precisely, the relationship with breast tumors is one of the lines of work of Dr. Laura García, head of the Medical Oncology Service, whose research has shown how obesity can modulate the immune system of patients with this type of cancer.

In addition, Obesity increases the incidence of colorectal cancerprobably related to chronic inflammation or insulin resistance, as well as that of esophageal cancer, favored by the higher prevalence of reflux and esophagitis in people with obesity.

Other tumors, such as those of the kidney and pancreas, also show a significant association, although their relationship seems to be mainly due to chronic inflammatory state and insulin resistance. Other types of cancers related to obesity would be liver, stomach, meningioma, multiple myeloma, gallbladder and thyroid cancer.