Lifetime weight gain associated with higher risk for stomach cancer

Used under license: copyright: Kurhan

CANCER DIGEST – Feb. 16, 2016 – People who are overweight in their twenties and become obese later in life may be three times more likely to develop cancer of either the esophagus (food pipe) or upper stomach, according to a study published in the Feb. 15, 2017 British Journal of Cancer .

The study, led by researchers from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, pooled data from more than 400,000 people and analyzed their reported height and weight at ages 20, 50, and at the time they gave the information. The researchers then followed them up to see which people developed cancer of either the oesophagus or upper stomach.

Those who first reported being overweight at the age of 20 were around 60-80 percent more likely to develop these cancers in later life, compared to those who maintained a healthy weight throughout life.

A limitation of the study was that participants were asked to recall what they weighed at different ages, and memories aren’t always accurate over long periods of time, as a result whether these findings are confirmed by future studies looking at lifetime weight gain and cancer risk remains to be seen.

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