Lower Your Cancer Risk With Weight Loss Surgery

Health Topics Sep 23, 2021

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Add cancer to the list of health problems you may avoid through weight loss surgery.

There’s a very strong relationship between obesity and cancer. The higher your body mass index or the more weight you have, the more likely you’ll have incidents of cancer.

New research shows that for those with obesity, weight loss surgery can reduce this cancer risk. A study released by Cleveland Clinic Florida found that overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of 13 types of cancer.

There are different risks associated with cancer and obesity, especially the hormonal types of cancer. Anything that has a hormonal component is impacted by weight. Our fatty tissues secrete hormones. One of the reasons we see this increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and blood pressure is because of the function of fat tissue.

The study found that if you have obesity, weight loss surgery can cut your overall risk of developing cancers with a hormone component by 20 percent. This most recent research confirms past results that showed that weight loss surgery reduces the incidence of most types of cancers, especially those that are hormonally related. In addition, studies are showing increased survival after weight loss surgery in people who have had breast cancer previously.

Hormonally related cancers include:

Should I Consider Weight Loss Surgery?

There can be tremendous benefits to weight loss surgery. With diet and exercise it can help people with obesity achieve a healthy weight and avoid medical problems. If you have obesity and also a family history of cancer, weight loss surgery may be right for you. The surgery can reduce your chances of developing cancer and also increase your survivability if you’ve already had cancer.