Obesity associated with increased death from colon cancer, liver cancer and lymphoma

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Wednesday, July 06, 2005 5:06 am Email this article
Obesity is associated with an increase in death from colon cancer, liver cancer, cancer of the lymph nodes, and possibly stomach cancer according to a new study. COLON CANCER: Obesity increases risk of death from colon cancer 2.2-fold

Obesity (BMI greater than 30) is associated 2.2 times greater risk of dying from colon cancer compared to people of normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9).

COLON CANCER: Overweight increases risk of death from colon cancer 1.2-fold

Being overweight was associated with a 20 percent increase in risk—1.2 fold greater risk—however, the difference did not reach statistical significance.

LYMPHOMA: Obesity increases risk of death from lymphoma 1.5-fold

Obesity (BMI greater than 30) is associated 1.5 times greater risk of dying from lyphoma—cancer of the lymph nodes—compared to people of normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), however, the difference did not quite reach statistical significance.

LYMPHOMA: Overweight increases risk of death from colon cancer 1.2-fold

Being overweight was associated with a 34 percent increase in risk—1.34 fold greater risk—however, this difference did not reach statistical significance either.

STOMACH CANCER: Obesity increases risk of death from stomach cancer 1.2-fold

The data suggests that obesity (BMI greater than 30) might increase the risk of dying from stomach cancer 1.2-fold compared to people of normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), however, the difference was not statistical significance.

The risk of dying from stomach cancer associated with being overweight was only slight higher than normal, a 5 percent increase—1.05 fold increase—but was not statistically significant.

STOMACH CANCER: Overweight increases risk of death from colon cancer 1.2-fold

Being overweight was associated with a 34 percent increase in risk—1.34 fold greater risk—however, this difference did not reach statistical significance either.

LIVER CANCER: Obesity increases risk of death from stomach cancer 3.8-fold

Obesity (BMI greater than 30) is associated 3.8 times greater risk of dying from liver cancer compared to people of normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), however, the difference did not reach statistical significance.

Being overweight was not associated with a difference in risk—1 percent lower risk—however, this difference was not statistical significant.

STOMACH CANCER: Overweight increases risk of death from colon cancer 1.2-fold

Being overweight was associated with a 34 percent increase in risk—1.34 fold greater risk—however, this difference did not reach statistical significance either.

PANCREATIC CANCER: Obesity associated with 42% lower risk of death from lung cancer cancer

Obesity is associated with 42 percent lower risk of dying from pancreatic cancer, however, the difference is not even close to being statistically significant, which suggests that obesity is not necessarily the protective factor.

Comment: This does not suggest to me that obesity protects against pancreatic cancer, but rather that people who die of pancreatic cancer generally become thin, and are not obese.

REFERENCE

Batty G, Shipley MJ, Jarrett RJ, Breeze E, Marmot MG, Smith G. Obesity and overweight in relation to organ-specific cancer mortality in london (uk): findings from the original whitehall study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2005 Jun 28.

AUTHOR’S CORRESPONDENCE

Dr G. D. Batty
MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit
University of Glasgow
4 Lilybank Gardens
Glasgow G12 8RZE, UK
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Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Cancer

• Cancer, Liver

• Cancer, others

• Cancer, Pancreatic

• Cancer, Stomach (gastric cardia)