Study: Being Overweight May Be Linked to 11.5% of Cancer Cases
Excess weight and obesity may be linked to a higher proportion of cancer cases than previously thought. According to estimates by researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), up to 11.5% of cancer cases may be linked to excess weight, Deutsche Welle reports.
Previously, scientists estimated that the proportion of cancer cases linked to excess weight ranged from 2% to 8%. The authors of the new study, led by epidemiologist Hermann Brenner, believe that previous estimates may have been significantly underestimated. Being overweight or obese significantly increases the risk of colorectal, breast, and liver cancer, and is also a major risk factor for 10 other types of cancer.
Unlike many previous studies, the DKFZ team assessed not only body mass index but also waist circumference and the waist-to-hip ratio. Body mass index does not distinguish between fat and muscle tissue and does not show exactly how fat is distributed throughout the body.
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The researchers paid particular attention to abdominal fat. Michael Leitzmann, an epidemiologist at the University of Regensburg who was not involved in the study, explained that fat cells in the abdominal region can cause a chronic inflammatory metabolic state. This adipose tissue releases signaling molecules—adipokines—which, via the bloodstream, influence cell growth and division, as well as the suppression of programmed cell death.
The analysis included data from 458,543 women and men from the UK Biobank. Participants were followed for an average of 12 years, during which time 50,000 new cases of cancer were identified. To minimize the impact of weight loss, which may occur even before a cancer diagnosis, the researchers considered only cancer cases that occurred seven years after the start of follow-up.
The study also suggests that the proportion of overweight women who developed cancer may be higher than that of overweight men. At the same time, Leitzmann emphasized that this finding requires confirmation in future studies. He noted that being overweight is associated, in particular, with hormone-dependent cancers—such as breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers—and that excess abdominal fat may contribute to elevated estrogen levels.
