Obesity Is A Risk Factor For Which Types Of Cancer?
Excess body weight is becoming increasingly recognized as an important risk factor for cancer. Renehan and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 141 articles that included 282,137 cases of cancer. Using data from these studies, they calculated the effect of gaining weight that was equivalent to an increase of 5 kg/m2 in body mass index (BMI). Such a weight gain doubles the risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma in both sexes (relative risk [RR], 1.52; P < .0001). In women, it also slightly more than doubles the risk for endometrial cancer (RR, 1.59; P < .0001) and increases risk for renal cancer by about a third (RR, 1.34; P < .0001).
