Weight loss linked with reduced cancer risk in people with obesity: Study

San Francisco, June 22: Real-world weight loss is linked with a decreased risk of obesity-related cancers, a new study has said.

The study published in the journal American Diabetes Association comprised 172 patients including 100,143 in the control arm and 5,329 cases.

The median body mass index (BMI at censoring (kg/m2.) was 34.2 for cases and 34.5 for controls, which are considered to have obesity according to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For each cancer endpoint, logistic regression models were used to assess the association of body mass index (BMI) change with three, five, and 10-year intervals before cancer diagnosis (for cases) versus controls.

The study found that the risk was reduced for renal cell carcinoma (three years), multiple myeloma (10 years), and endometrial cancer (three and five years) among primary cancer endpoints.

"This study reinforces how crucial it is to treat obesity as a chronic disease," said Kenda Alkwatli, MD, Clinical Fellow at Cleveland Clinic, and author of the study.

"We are hopeful that these results can help us better understand how we can use weight loss to address comorbidities including cancer in patients with obesity," she added.

As per the researchers, obesity is linked to higher risks of at least 13 types of cancer due to excess estrogen and elevated insulin, including breast, kidney, ovary, liver, and pancreatic cancer.