Obesity-related Cancer Cases On The Rise: Study

A new research has revealed that obesity contributes to cancer cases as well. Obesity leads to 480,000 new cancer cases or 3.6 percent cases in adults per year.

The number of cancer cases due to obesity is higher in developed countries, the report said. It also said that almost two-thirds or 64 percent of these cases are found in North America and Europe.

In North America, around 111,000 new obesity-related cancer cases were reported in 2012. This is nearly 23 percent of the total BMI-related cancer cases across the world. Eastern Europe contributes 6.5 percent such cases.

"Our findings add support for a global effort to address the rising trends in obesity. The global prevalence of obesity in adults has doubled since 1980. If this trend continues it will certainly boost the future burden of cancer," warned Melina Arnold from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The findings which were published in the Lancet said that high BMI-related cancer cases led to greater problems for women than men. In 2012, obesity led to 1.9 percent or 136, 000 new cancers cases in men, while the figure for women was 5.4 percent or 345, 000.

Excess body weight led to around 8 percent cancer cases in women in developed countries, while the figure for men was 3 percent.

Meanwhile, in developing countries, the number is just mere 1.5 percent in women and about 0.3 percent in men.

In men, over two-thirds of obesity-related cancers were related to colon and kidney. In women, almost three-quarters of the obesity-related cancer cases were related to post-menopausal breast, endometrial and colon.

Source: Medindia