The Role of Obesity in Cancer Survival and Recurrence

Abstract

Obesity and components of energy imbalance, i.e., excessive energy intake and suboptimal levels of physical activity, are established risk factors for cancer incidence. Accumulating evidence suggests that these factors also may be important after the diagnosis of cancer and influence the course of disease, as well as overall health, well-being, and survival. Lifestyle and medical interventions that effectively modify these factors could potentially be harnessed as a means of cancer control. However, for such interventions to be maximally effective and sustainable, broad sweeping scientific discoveries ranging from molecular and cellular advances, to developments in delivering interventions on both individual and societal levels are needed. This review summarizes key discussion topics that were addressed in a recent Institute of Medicine Workshop entitled, “The Role of Obesity in Cancer Survival and Recurrence”; discussions included: 1) mechanisms associated with obesity and energy balance that influence cancer progression; 2) complexities of studying and interpreting energy balance in relation to cancer recurrence and survival; 3) associations between obesity and cancer risk, recurrence, and mortality; 4) interventions that promote weight loss, increased physical activity, and negative energy balance as a means of cancer control; and 5) future directions.

Variations in the body mass index in Brazilian women undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer

“…Steroid hormones heavily influence on the disease. Increased estrone and estradiol and reduced sex hormone-binding globulin levels, which result in an increased bio-disposable fraction of estrogen, have been observed in patients with high body mass index (BMI) 2 . As a reference measurement used internationally by the World Health Organization (WHO), BMI is determined by dividing a person's weight by their height squared 3 .…”

Obesity and Cancer: Evidence, Postulated Mechanisms and Prospectives

“…This pro-inflammatory status stimulates, in turn, insulin resistance development, over production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and induction of oxidative stress and modification of critical macromolecules and, finally, carcinogenesis. Heightened levels of ROS proceed to increased susceptibility to mutagenic factors leading to mutations with DNA damage and carcinogenesis [133][134][135]. Increased ROS are also contributed to enhancement of proliferation by transactivation of the tyrosine kinase receptor through ligand-independent mechanism, and finally, promoting spread of cancer cells and metastasis into distant organs [136,137].…”

Ćwiczenia fizyczne jako czynnik zapobiegający nowotworom i poprawiający rokowanie: dobrze udokumentowana metoda

“…Związek pomiędzy nadwagą i otyłością a zwiększonym ryzykiem zachorowania na niektóre nowotwory, w szczegól-ności raki przewodu pokarmowego, piersi, narządu rodnego, gruczołu krokowego i nerki, wykazano w licznych badaniach [3][4][5]. Aktywność fizyczna i utrzymanie należnej masy ciała, obok niepalenia tytoniu, są zatem uważane za najważniejszy czynnik w profilaktyce najczęstszych nowotworów.…”