According to a study, obesity could be a risk factor for colon cancer in women

Available data suggest that men are more prone to colon cancer than women. However, women also have certain risk factors that can make them prone to cancer. A recent study suggests that overweight or obese women have up to twice the risk of developing colorectal cancer before the age of 50, unlike women whose mass index body is considered normal.

In the United States, overall rates of new cases of colorectal cancer and deaths from the disease have steadily declined since 1980, largely as a result of screening recommended for colonoscopy from the age of 50 years. For reasons that remain unknown, new cases and deaths due The cancers of the colon and rectum have increased in young adults aged 20 to 49 years.

The Indian diet, rich in fiber and including many fruits and vegetables, keeps the colon healthy for a long time and protects us from this form of cancer. But as we continue to mimic Western culture, increase junk food addiction and eat less balanced, the risk of colon cancer increases. The study is one of the first epidemiological analyzes of potential factors for early and diagnosed colorectal cancer in children under 50 years of age. The researchers found that a higher current BMI, an 18-year-old BMI, and weight gain since early adulthood were associated with colorectal cancer risk in those under 50 years of age.

The study included data on 85,256 women aged 25 to 44 in the nurses' health study II begun in 1989. Researchers collected detailed information on body weight throughout the study. of life, family history and endoscopy and lifestyle factors at the beginning of the study. two to four years. Until 2011, doctors had diagnosed 114 cases of colorectal cancer under the age of 50 years.

Cancer co-author and epidemiologist Yin Cao said their findings underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, early in adulthood, for the prevention of colorectal cancer at an early stage. They had already hypothesized that the obesity epidemic might contribute in part to this national and global concern for early-stage colorectal cancer rates, but they were surprised by the strength of the link and the contribution of obesity and weight change since the beginning of adulthood.

Compared to women with the lowest BMI (18.5 to 22.9 kg per square meter), women with the highest BMI (greater than 30) are at almost twice the risk higher colorectal cancer at an early stage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the normal BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9 kg per square meter. BMIs between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight, and BMIs greater than 30 are considered obese. Early-onset colorectal cancer remains relatively rare (about eight cases per 100,000 people), but as these populations are not screened systematically, cases are often diagnosed at one time. later stage of the disease, making them much more difficult to treat.

The researchers estimated that about 22% of early-stage colorectal cancers could have been prevented if all participants had a normal BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. At the population level, this represents thousands of potentially preventable cases of colorectal cancer among the younger population. The researchers also found that the higher risk of colorectal cancer at early onset was associated with increased BMI, even in women with no family history of the disease.

The study was published in the Journal JAMA Oncology.

Posted on: 15 October 2018 10:39