Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Obesity pp 211–220Cite as

Obesity and Cancer

  • Chapter

Abstract

Obesity, which is defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2, is a leading risk factor for many cancers. Increased BMI is a poor prognostic factor and portends worse cancer-specific outcomes in several types of tumors. In this chapter, the underlying mechanism of obesity-cancer link will be discussed, including lipid accumulation, inflammation, insulin resistance and adipokines. The etiology and epidemiology associations between obesity and carcinogenesis will be described in hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer, respectively. The particular mechanism of obesity in specific cancers, such as oxidative stress in liver cancer, dysbiotic microbiota in colorectal cancer, gastric acid reflux in esophageal cancer and estrogen in breast cancer, will be illustrated. An understanding of the mechanism of obesity-induced cancer will provide a framework for developing rational interventions to mitigate the pro-tumorigenic effects. The link between obesity and cancer underscores the importance of weight management in cancer prevention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Renehan AG, Tyson M, Egger M, et al. Body-mass index and incidence of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Lancet. 2008;371:569–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, et al. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011–2012. JAMA. 2014;311:806–14.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Yu J, Shen J, Sun TT, et al. Obesity, insulin resistance, NASH and hepatocellular carcinoma. Semin Cancer Biol. 2013;23:483–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Moller H, Mellemgaard A, Lindvig K, et al. Obesity and cancer risk: a Danish record-linkage study. Eur J Cancer. 1994;30A:344–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Calle EE, Rodriguez C, Walker-Thurmond K, et al. Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of U.S. adults. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:1625–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Nieman KM, Kenny HA, Penicka CV, et al. Adipocytes promote ovarian cancer metastasis and provide energy for rapid tumor growth. Nat Med. 2011;17:1498–503.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Wagner M, Dudley AC. A three-party alliance in solid tumors: adipocytes, macrophages and vascular endothelial cells. Adipocyte. 2013;2:67–73.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Park EJ, Lee JH, Yu GY, et al. Dietary and genetic obesity promote liver inflammation and tumorigenesis by enhancing IL-6 and TNF expression. Cell. 2010;140:197–208.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Iyengar NM, Hudis CA, Dannenberg AJ. Obesity and cancer: local and systemic mechanisms. Annu Rev Med. 2015;66:297–309.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dutta D, Ghosh S, Pandit K, et al. Leptin and cancer: pathogenesis and modulation. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012;16:S596–600.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Tsai CH, Tsai HC, Huang HN, et al. Resistin promotes tumor metastasis by down-regulation of miR-519d through the AMPK/p38 signaling pathway in human chondrosarcoma cells. Oncotarget. 2015;6:258–70.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Park HJ, Kim SR, Kim SS, et al. Visfatin promotes cell and tumor growth by upregulating Notch1 in breast cancer. Oncotarget. 2014;5:5087–99.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wang C, Wu WK, Liu X, et al. Increased serum chemerin level promotes cellular invasiveness in gastric cancer: a clinical and experimental study. Peptides. 2014;51:131–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Jemal A, Bray F, Center MM, et al. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin. 2011;61:69–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhang X, Shen J, Man K, et al. CXCL10 plays a key role as an inflammatory mediator and a non-invasive biomarker of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. J Hepatol. 2014;61:1365–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Farrell GC, Larter CZ. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: from steatosis to cirrhosis. Hepatology. 2006;43:S99–112.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Wong RJ, Cheung R, Ahmed A. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is the most rapidly growing indication for liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the U.S. Hepatology. 2014;59:2188–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Stickel F, Hellerbrand C. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma: mechanisms and implications. Gut. 2010;59:1303–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Maeda S. NF-kappaB, JNK, and TLR signaling pathways in hepatocarcinogenesis. Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2010;2010:367694.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. El-Serag HB, Tran T, Everhart JE. Diabetes increases the risk of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology. 2004;126:460–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. El-Serag HB, Hampel H, Javadi F. The association between diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006;4:369–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Jee SH, Ohrr H, Sull JW, et al. Fasting serum glucose level and cancer risk in Korean men and women. JAMA. 2005;293:194–202.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Yoshimoto S, Loo TM, Atarashi K, et al. Obesity-induced gut microbial metabolite promotes liver cancer through senescence secretome. Nature. 2013;499:97–101.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Torre LA, Bray F, Siegel RL, et al. Global cancer statistics, 2012. CA Cancer J Clin. 2015;65:87–108.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bardou M, Barkun AN, Martel M. Obesity and colorectal cancer. Gut. 2013;62:933–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Brandstedt J, Wangefjord S, Nodin B, et al. Gender, anthropometric factors and risk of colorectal cancer with particular reference to tumour location and TNM stage: a cohort study. Biol Sex Differ. 2012;3:23.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Scarpa M, Ruffolo C, Erroi F, et al. Obesity is a risk factor for multifocal disease and recurrence after colorectal cancer surgery: a case-control study. Anticancer Res. 2014;34:5735–41.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhu Y, Michelle Luo T, Jobin C, et al. Gut microbiota and probiotics in colon tumorigenesis. Cancer Lett. 2011;309:119–27.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Whiteman DC, Sadeghi S, Pandeya N, et al. Combined effects of obesity, acid reflux and smoking on the risk of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus. Gut. 2008;57:173–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Abnet CC, Freedman ND, Hollenbeck AR, et al. A prospective study of BMI and risk of oesophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma. Eur J Cancer. 2008;44:465–71.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Reeves GK, Pirie K, Beral V, et al. Cancer incidence and mortality in relation to body mass index in the Million Women Study: cohort study. BMJ. 2007;335:1134.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Corley DA, Kubo A, Zhao W. Abdominal obesity and the risk of esophageal and gastric cardia carcinomas. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17:352–8.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Hampel H, Abraham NS, El-Serag HB. Meta-analysis: obesity and the risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease and its complications. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143:199–211.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Long E, Beales IL. The role of obesity in oesophageal cancer development. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2014;7:247–68.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Bracci PM. Obesity and pancreatic cancer: overview of epidemiologic evidence and biologic mechanisms. Mol Carcinog. 2012;51:53–63.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Genkinger JM, Spiegelman D, Anderson KE, et al. A pooled analysis of 14 cohort studies of anthropometric factors and pancreatic cancer risk. Int J Cancer. 2011;129:1708–17.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Berrington de Gonzalez A, Sweetland S, Spencer E. A meta-analysis of obesity and the risk of pancreatic cancer. Br J Cancer. 2003;89:519–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Balentine CJ, Enriquez J, Fisher W, et al. Intra-abdominal fat predicts survival in pancreatic cancer. J Gastrointest Surg. 2010;14:1832–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Benns M, Woodall C, Scoggins C, et al. The impact of obesity on outcomes following pancreatectomy for malignancy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2009;16:2565–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Tsai S, Choti MA, Assumpcao L, et al. Impact of obesity on perioperative outcomes and survival following pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer: a large single-institution study. J Gastrointest Surg. 2010;14:1143–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Ding XZ, Fehsenfeld DM, Murphy LO, et al. Physiological concentrations of insulin augment pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and glucose utilization by activating MAP kinase, PI3 kinase and enhancing GLUT-1 expression. Pancreas. 2000;21:310–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. van den Brandt PA, Spiegelman D, Yaun SS, et al. Pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies on height, weight, and breast cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol. 2000;152:514–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Carmichael AR, Bates T. Obesity and breast cancer: a review of the literature. Breast. 2004;13:85–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Morris PG, Hudis CA, Giri D, et al. Inflammation and increased aromatase expression occur in the breast tissue of obese women with breast cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011;4:1021–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Hair BY, Troester MA, Edmiston SN, et al. Body mass index is associated with gene methylation in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015;24:580–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Xiang Zhang MBBS, Master of Medicine, PhD, William K. K. Wu PhD, FRCPath & Jun Yu MBBS, MMed, MD, PhD

  2. Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and State Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    William K. K. Wu PhD, FRCPath

Authors
  1. Xiang Zhang MBBS, Master of Medicine, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William K. K. Wu PhD, FRCPath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jun Yu MBBS, MMed, MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Yu MBBS, MMed, MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Shamim I. Ahmad

  2. Al Mouwasat Hospital, Jubail, Saudi Arabia

    Syed Khalid Imam

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Zhang, X., Wu, W.K.K., Yu, J. (2016). Obesity and Cancer. In: Ahmad, S., Imam, S. (eds) Obesity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19821-7_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19821-7_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19820-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19821-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation