Losing weight can protect against obesity-related cancers, according to a new study. Researchers have linked obesity to a higher risk of at least 13 types of cancer, due to excess hormones like estrogen and insulin. However, study results indicate that shedding pounds can improve the odds of developing these cancers, including breast, kidney, ovary, liver, and pancreatic cancers.
“This study reinforces how crucial it is to treat obesity as a chronic disease,” said Dr. Kenda Alkwatli, a clinical fellow at Cleveland Clinic and a researcher in the study. “We are hopeful that these results can help us better understand how we can use weight loss to address co-morbidities, including cancer in patients with obesity.”
The researchers evaluated the electronic health records of over 100,000 obese patients at Cleveland Clinic, of whom more than 5,300 developed cancer. They tracked changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) at three-, five-, and ten-year intervals before cancer diagnoses and compared them to control groups.
The findings revealed that weight loss could reduce the risk of developing most obesity-related cancers within five years. Specifically, the risk of kidney cancer decreased within three years, and the risk of endometrial cancer dropped at three and five years. Additionally, the risk of multiple myeloma fell within ten years.
These results underscore the importance of weight management in reducing cancer risk and highlight the need for addressing obesity as a chronic health condition. By promoting healthy weight loss, there is potential to significantly lower the incidence of various cancers among obese individuals.