Obesity and Colon And Rectal Cancer

Posted on September 7, 2008
Filed Under Cancer |

Cancer of the colon and rectum is the third most common cancer worldwide. The incidence of this health problem varies widely among different countries, being highest in the western countries of North America, Australia and Western Europe and lower in Africa and Asia.

This study
Throw that obesity was associated with risk of colon cancer in both men and women, and the rectum in males.

Traditionally, nutritional factors have been linked to the development of these cancers. Every day we have more evidence that insulin resistance (hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar) and increasing their blood (hyperinsulinemia) may be responsible for many of the associations of nutritional factors with colorectal cancer risk and the high incidence of these tumors in Western countries.

Obesity, especially abdominal obesity, is associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Although the body mass index (BMI) is positively associated with risk of colon cancer in men, only one association was weak and was not tested in any association for women.

The researchers of this study conducted a meta-analysis (a review of published studies on the subject) to quantitatively assess the relationship between BMI and risk of colon and rectal cancer in men and women.

Were analyzed 30 prospective studies on the subject?
The results showed that the association between obesity and risk of colon and rectal cancer varies by sex and place of employment of cancer. Although the risk of colon cancer increases with increased body mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio in both men and women, the associations were stronger in men. The relationship between BMI and colon cancer was similar for cancer of the colon proximal to distal. With regard to cancer of the rectum, the risk increased with increasing BMI in men but was not observed the same association in women.

The epidemiological evidence suggests that abdominal obesity may predict the risk of colon cancer than the overall obesity measured by body mass index. It has also been observed that high blood concentrations of insulin and another substance called C-peptide, which serves as a marker of pancreatic secretion of insulin, are associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.

In conclusion, the results of this study showed that obesity was positively associated with risk of colon cancer in both men and women, and the rectum in males. The association between obesity and colon cancer risk was higher in men than in women. Moreover, a high BMI was associated more strongly with the risk of colon cancer with the risk of cancer of the rectum.

The authors recommend greater efforts to end part of the health authorities to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity that result in a reduction in the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases.

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