A recent study revealed that losing significant weight reduces the risk of developing cancers linked to obesity.
According to researchers from the Cleveland Clinic in the United States, as of June 30, weight reduction can greatly lower the risk of obesity-related cancers, including breast, kidney, ovarian, liver, and pancreatic cancer.
The research team examined the electronic health records of over 100,000 obese patients registered at the Cleveland Clinic. Among them, about 5,300 were diagnosed with cancer.
In this study, the team tracked changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) three, five, and ten years prior to the cancer diagnosis and compared the data with a control group.
The results showed that weight loss within five years could reduce the risk of most obesity-related cancers.
For example, the risk of developing kidney cancer decreased within three years. The risk of endometrial cancer decreased within three to five years, and the risk of multiple myeloma decreased within ten years.
Weight loss also appeared to protect against 16 other cancers that are not related to obesity, including melanoma, lung, reproductive organs, eye, brain, and digestive tract cancers.
Dr. Kenda Alkwatli of the research team said, “This study underscores the importance of treating obesity as a chronic disease,” adding, “The results show how weight loss can be used to manage comorbidities, including obesity-related cancers.”
She also mentioned plans to investigate whether obesity medications like Wegovy and Jardiance could help reduce cancer risk.
The results of this study, titled “Weight Loss is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Cancer in Obese Individuals,” were presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.
