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Lifelong excess weight can double risk of endometrial cancer

Lifelong excess weight almost doubles a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer, according to new research.

Lifelong excess weight almost doubles a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer, according to new research.

The global study, which was published in the BMC Medicine, looked at genetic samples from around 120,000 women, 13,000 of which had endometrial cancer, the most common type of womb cancer.

Womb cancer is one of the cancer types most closely linked with obesity

While it is estimated that more than one in 20 cancer cases in the UK are caused by excess weight, few studies had looked at the effect of lifelong greater body mass index (BMI) on womb cancer risk.

To fill this gap, the researchers looked at the genetic markers of 14 molecular traits that could link obesity and womb cancer and found that obesity increases the levels of two hormones, fasting insulin and testosterone. These hormones increased the risk of being diagnosed with womb cancer.

The research also found that for every five extra BMI units, a woman’s risk of endometrial cancer is almost doubled, with an increase of 88%.

However, the researchers note that this risk increase reflects lifelong weight status, rather than a snapshot. They add that this could be why most other studies have not reported such drastic increases.

The researchers hope the findings can be used to help reduce the risk of cancer in people struggling with obesity

Emma Hazelwood, lead author of the paper, said: “This study is an interesting first step into how genetic analyses could be used to uncover exactly how obesity causes cancer, and what can be done to tackle it.

“Links between obesity and womb cancer are well-known, but this is one of the largest studies that has looked into exactly why that is on a molecular level. We look forward to further research exploring how we can now use this information to help reduce the risk of cancer in people struggling with obesity.”

By identifying precisely how hormones could increase the risk, the researchers hope drugs could developed that reduce or increase the levels of fasting insulin and testosterone in people already at a higher risk of cancer.

They add that lifestyle and dietary interventions that encourage the maintenance of a health weight should also remain as the basis of prevention of womb cancers.

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