Risk Of Colorectal Cancer High In Overweight Adolescents

Overweight or obesity in adolescence was associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer later in life and this study is the largest study ever done.

Overweight or obese adolescence are associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer in adulthood. Obesity was also found to be linked with an elevated risk of developing rectal cancer later in life, reveals a new study.//

Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings come at a time of growing concern about the impact of adolescent overweight and obesity on chronic disease later in life.

Colorectal Cancer Screening with Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is a widely used endoscopic procedure to screen individuals for colorectal cancer. It is very sensitive in detecting colorectal cancers.

‘Men and women who were overweight and obese were associated with 53 percent and 54 percent higher risks of developing colon cancer.’

Study results on a potential link between adolescent obesity and the risk of colorectal cancer are conflicting, and many of the studies' designs have been limited.

To provide more clarity, Zohar Levi, MD, of the Rabin Medical Center and the Tel Aviv University in Israel, and his colleagues analyzed information on 1,087,358 Jewish males and 707,212 Jewish females who underwent health examinations, including measures of body mass index (BMI), at age 16 to 19 years (predominantly aged 17 years) between 1967 and 2002. Individuals were followed to 2012.

Over a median follow-up of 23 years, 2967 new cases of colorectal cancer were identified, including 1977 among men (1403 colon, 574 rectum) and 990 among women (764 colon, 226 rectum).

Colorectal Cancer Screening with Double-Contrast Barium Enema
Double-contrast barium enema is a radiological technique that can be used to screen individuals for colorectal cancer and is performed when colonoscopy is not possible.

Overweight and obesity were associated with 53% and 54% higher risks of colon cancer for men and women, respectively. Obesity was associated with a 71% increased risk of rectal cancer in men and more than a twofold increased risk in women.

"This is a huge cohort with a minimum follow up of 10 years, and all individuals had measured BMI, not just reported or recalled," said Prof. Levi.

Colorectal Cancer Screening with Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
Flexible sigmoidoscopy is an endoscopic procedure used to screen individuals for colorectal cancer suspected to be in sigmoid colon.

"This is the largest study ever, including both men and women, and it had the power to prove the importance of BMI at age 17 on events later in life."

The main limitation of the study is that the cohort was still young, with the median age at colorectal cancer diagnosis of 49.4 years.

Colorectal Cancer - Types, Causes, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis & Prevention
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men.

The study also lacked data on diet, physical activity, and smoking, which might affect risk estimates. Family history of colorectal cancer was also unknown.

Source-Eurekalert