(RxWiki News) A new study has linked obesity to eight more types of cancer.
Obesity may be linked to cancer of the stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary and thyroid gland, as well as meningioma (brain tumor) and multiple myeloma, according to this study, which was led by Washington University School of Medicine researchers.
And that's in addition to the types of cancer that had been linked to obesity in past research: colorectal cancer as well as cancers of the esophagus, kidney, breast and uterus.
These researchers noted that there are many reasons for the link between obesity and the increase in cancer risk. Excess fat may lead to abnormalities of certain sex hormones and insulin, as well as promote inflammation, they said.
Healthy lifestyle factors like eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising and avoiding smoking may help reduce cancer risk, these researchers noted.
As obesity becomes more common across the world, its link to cancer could become a larger global health threat, these researchers said. Talk to your doctor about how to maintain a healthy weight and lower your cancer risk.
This study looked at the findings of over 1,000 past studies on obesity and cancer risk.
It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Information on study funding sources and potential conflicts of interest was not available at the time of publication.
