by Caroline Petvin
(Health Secrets) Over 100,000 cancers that occur in the US each year can be attributed to excess body fat, according to a report released by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Using the figures published in the recent Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention report, this study looks at the percentage of common cancers that are a direct result of obesity. It also looks at how being overweight can make cancer harder to treat and can reduce cancer survival levels.
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Which cancers are caused by obesity?
Research into the types of cancer that are linked to obesity is ongoing, and there are likely to be new figures and findings released soon. However, the latest report from the American Institute for Cancer Research details seven types of cancer that are caused by obesity, and the number of cases directly linked to excess body fat each year in the US.
1.33,000 cases of breast cancer each year
2.20,700 cases of endometrial cancer each year
3.13,900 cases of kidney cancers each year
4.13,200 cases of colorectal cancers each year
5.11,900 cases of pancreatic cancer each year
6.5,800 cases of esophageal cancer each year
7.2,000 cases of gallbladder cancer each year
Obesity is defined as being roughly thirty pounds or more over a healthy weight for your age and height. Overall about a third of American adults are considered obese. As well as increasing their risk of these and other cancers, obesity increases a person’s risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.
How does excess body fat cause cancer?
There are various links between obesity and cancer that are being researched, but one of the best documented is that excess body fat can exacerbate hormone imbalance linked to cancer growth. This is especially true of some types of breast cancer and endometrial cancer, where the cancer cells have estrogen receptors and are fed by excessive levels of unbalanced estrogen.
The hormone insulin could be responsible for other forms of cancer, according to Donna Ryan, an oncologist and president of the Obesity Society. She suggests that people who are obese often experience increased insulin levels or insulin resistance, and that insulin can have an enormous impact on the growth of cancer cells.
Another possible link between obesity and cancer is that excess body fat can weaken the immune system and increase oxidative stress. This can result in DNA damage, which may lead to the formation of cancer cells. In the case of esophageal cancer, obesity can frequently lead to acid reflux, which damages the lower part of the esophagus and increases the cancer risk.
How does obesity affect cancer survival?