Obesity, diabetes, and cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and potential interventions

Abstract

The proportion of deaths attributable to cancer is rising, and malignant neoplasms have become the leading cause of death in high-income countries. Obesity and diabetes are now recognized as risk factors for several types of malignancies, especially endometrial, colorectal, and postmenopausal breast cancers. Mechanisms implicated include disturbances in lipid-derived hormone secretion, sex steroids biosynthesis, hyperinsulinemia, and chronic inflammation. Intentional weight loss is associated with a mitigation of risk for obesity-related cancers, a phenomenon observed specially with bariatric surgery. The impact of pharmacological interventions for obesity and diabetes is not uniform: while metformin seems to protect against cancer, other agents such as lorcaserin may increase the risk of malignancies. However, these interpretations must be carefully considered, since most data stem from bias-prone observational studies, and high-quality randomized controlled trials with appropriate sample size and duration are needed to achieve definite conclusions. In this review, we outline epidemiological and pathophysiological aspects of the relationship between obesity, diabetes, and malignancies. We also highlight pieces of evidence regarding treatment effects on cancer incidence in these populations.

Does metformin reduce the risk of cancer in obesity and diabetes? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

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Flavonoids with lipase inhibitory activity from lemon squeezing waste: isolation, multispectroscopic and in silico studies

“…Obesity is among the most worrying metabolic syndromes worldwide, affecting more than 600 million people. It is recognized as a major lifestyle‐related disease and the main risk factor for pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer 1,2 . To date, orlistat, a pancreatic lipase inhibitor, is the only drug on the global market to treat obesity, but untoward effects (oily spotting and stools, flatulence) can restrict its administration 3 .…”

What will we see in diabetes in the next 10 years?

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