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Obesity stands as a significant risk factor for cancer development, ranking among the most prevalent causes of mortality worldwide. Thirteen types of cancer are associated with obesity, including two of the most common: colorectal and breast cancer. Researchers from the University of Utah delved into the long-term impact of bariatric surgery on patients’ health. Their findings unveiled a connection between the procedure and reduced cancer incidence, subsequently lowering mortality rates.
Bariatric surgery encompasses a range of interventions aimed at curtailing food intake. Among the most widely adopted is gastric sleeve resection, involving the removal of a portion of the stomach. This reduction in stomach size leads to diminished food consumption and subsequent weight loss.
Research Methodology
Scientists conducted their investigation by comparing a group of 21,837 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery between 1982 and 2019 with a control group that had not undergone the procedure. Both groups were matched in terms of size, age, gender, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The primary outcomes assessed encompassed cancer incidence and mortality, stratified by obesity-related and non-obesity-related cancer types, as well as by cancer stage and procedures performed.
Patients were observed for a span ranging from 2.8 to 13.5 years, with approximately 79% of them being female. Both groups displayed an average BMI of nearly 46 at the commencement of the study. A BMI of 30 and above falls within the range of obesity.
Research Findings
The researchers made significant discoveries: patients who underwent bariatric surgery exhibited a 25% lower risk of cancer compared to those who did not undergo surgical intervention. Moreover, they had a 43% reduced chance of dying from cancer compared to their non-surgically treated counterparts. Notably, weight loss had a pronounced impact on women.
Among women who underwent the surgery, there was a 41% lower incidence of obesity-related cancers, including breast, ovarian, uterine, and colorectal cancers. Furthermore, they experienced a 47% lower overall cancer mortality compared to women who did not have the procedure. This encompassed a 55% reduction in mortality from obesity-related cancers and a 38% reduction in mortality from non-obesity-related cancers.
In men, bariatric surgery did not correlate with a decreased mortality from obesity-related cancers. However, it was associated with a 51% decrease in mortality from non-obesity-related cancers.
Mechanisms Behind the Cancer Risk Reduction by Bariatric Surgery
Ted Adams, the corresponding author of the study, commented to Medical News Today, suggesting that hormonal mechanisms could be implicated in this phenomenon.
It follows that perhaps patients who have had weight loss surgery may have reversed the cancer-causing factors [chronic inflammation, elevated secretion of steroid hormones, and insulin resistance, which promotes tumor growth] and thereby lower cancer risk.
Dr. Ted Adams, Ph.D., adjunct professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah
He further elaborated that ongoing research is focusing on exploring alternative factors that might explain the heightened cancer risk associated with obesity.
