Obesity raises risk of ovarian cancer
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3937322,prtpage-1.cms
| Obesity raises risk of ovarian cancer
5 Jan 2009, 1414 hrs IST, PTI |
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LONDON: Ladies, here’s yet another reason why you should cut the flab — obesity can raise the risk of ovarian cancer, a new study has revealed. Earlier studies suggested that obesity raises the risk of womb cancer in women of any age. And, in both men and women, it increases the chances of bowel cancer, kidney cancer and throat cancer. Now, researchers have found that women who are obese raise their risk of ovarian cancer by up to 80 per cent — the link has been found even in those who have never used hormone replacement therapy for symptoms of the menopause. And, according to them, the findings suggest obesity may enhance the risk of ovarian cancer risk through hormonal effects, the British media reported. Increased weight in post-menopausal women actually leads to an increased production of oestrogen, which in turn may stimulate the growth of ovarian cells and play a role in the development of ovarian cancer, the researchers believe. “The observed relations between obesity and ovarian cancer risk have relevance for public health programmes aimed at reducing obesity in the population,” Dr Michael Leitzmann of the US National Cancer Institute, who led the study, said. In their study involving 95,000 women, the researchers found among women aged 50 to 71 being overweight increased the risk of the disease by almost 80 per cent. In fact, a total of 303 women in the group developed ovarian cancer over a period of seven years. Among those who had never taken hormones after menopause, obesity raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 80 per cent. The study has been published in the ‘Cancer’ journal. ———————————————————— |
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