20^thGlobal Obesity Meeting

Obesity and Cancer

Extra fat in the body may have harmful effects, like producing hormones and growth factors that affect the way our cells work. Fat cells can also attract immune cells to body tissues which release chemicals that cause long-lasting inflammation. This can raise the risk of several diseases including cancer. People with obesity have chronic low-level or subacute unresolved inflammation, which is associated with increased cancer risk.

One of the strongest links between obesity and cancer is an increased risk of breast and womb cancers in women who are obese after the menopause, and this relates to higher estrogen levels. Overweight people often have increased levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 which may lead to the development of certain tumors.