Obesity Surgery May Affect the Risk of Cancer

Weight loss surgery or obesity surgery may affect the risk of cancer. Obese patients who underwent weight loss (bariatric) surgery had a decreased risk of developing hormone-related cancer (breast, endometrial or prostate cancer) when compared with patients who did not have surgery.

Weight loss surgery may lower the risk of developing cancer. The findings of the study are published in the BJS (British Journal of Surgery).

This national population-based cohort study used data from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England collected between 1997 and 2012. A total of 8794 obese patients who underwent gastric bypass, gastric banding, or sleeve gastrectomy were matched with 8794 obese individuals who did not have surgery.

Bariatric Surgery - Short Term and Long Term Outcomes
The benefits of bariatric surgery outweigh its side-effects. With the surgery you can lose 45 to 60% of the original weight and this has benefits on blood sugar, sleep and heart disease.

‘Obesity surgery may reduce the risk of developing cancer. Obese patients who underwent weight loss (bariatric) surgery had a 77% decreased the risk of developing hormone-related cancer (breast, endometrial or prostate cancer) when compared with patients who did not have surgery.’

Patients who underwent surgery had a 77% decreased the risk of developing hormone-related cancer (breast, endometrial or prostate cancer) when compared with patients who did not have surgery.

Gastric bypass resulted in the largest risk reduction (84%) for hormone-related cancer but was associated with a greater than a twofold increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Additional studies are needed to understand the biological mechanisms behind these findings.

Top 15 Health Benefits of Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric or weight loss surgery is done on persons with severe obesity who are unable to lose weight by other methods or those who have obesity-related health issues.

Source-Eurekalert

Higher Thyroid Hormone Levels Trigger Significant Weight Loss Post-Bariatric Surgery
Obese patients who have higher levels of thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine, lose significant weight after bariatric surgery.

Kidney Stones are Common after Bariatric Surgery
Learn more about the risks for kidney stones (“nephrolithiasis”) after weight loss (“bariatric”) surgery.