The Obesity-Ovarian Cancer Link: Another Reason to Lose Weight
Being overweight or obese significantly increases a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer, ac-cording to the American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund (AICR/WCRF).
In March 2014, the AICR/WCRF issued a report that, for the first time, links excessive body weight to the most deadly gynecological cancer. Two out of three women in the U.S. are either overweight or obese.
It is not the first time weight has been linked to cancer. Ovarian cancer now joins a long list of cancers—breast, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, gallbladder, and pancreatic—that show similar associations.
A healthy weight could help prevent one in five cases of these eight major kinds of cancer—more than 120,000 cases every year.
OVARIAN CANCER RISK FACTORS
Age: Rare in women under 40, but increases with age after that
Obesity: Higher with BMI of 25 or over; higher still with BMI of 30 or over
Family history: Increases with ovarian, breast, or colorectal cancer in family
Personal history: Increases if you have had breast cancer
Diet: Lower in women with low-fat diet for at least four years
Smoking: Lower for mucinous-type ovarian cancer if you don’t smoke
Tubal ligation: May reduce risk by up to two-thirds
Impact on health care
“The link between weight and cancer development is not new,” says Rachel Lustgarten, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian at the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, “but having concrete data to support the connection between weight and a specific cancer is important because it impacts best healthcare practices.”
Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD, one of the panelists who authored the report, reinforces that opinion. “This is an important finding because it shows a way for women to reduce their chances of getting ovarian cancer. There is so much we don’t know about preventing ovarian cancer, but now we can tell women that maintaining a healthy weight can help protect them against this deadly disease.”
The report was based on 128 studies that included four million women, approximately 16,000 of whom developed ovarian cancer. There was a six percent risk increase for every five-point increase in body mass index (BMI), a commonly used measurement of body fat. A BMI of 25.0-29.9 is classified as overweight; 30 and over is obese.
How body weight is associated with ovarian cancer is complex and not clearly understood. Fat tissue is metabolically active and can produce compounds that promote inflammation, which has a proven connection to some types of cancer. Being overweight or obese also affects insulin levels and insulin-related factors that may promote the growth of cancer cells.
Lustgarten has seen weight management as an important factor during treatment of other cancers, not just in prevention. “With breast cancer survivors, we often see weight gain during treatment. Nutrition counseling can be an important factor in helping patients achieve a healthy weight, which can help prevent cancer recurrence. This is a practice that might be applied to ovarian cancer treatment as well.”
Effective weight loss
Now we know that women who are overweight and want to reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer can begin by reducing their weight. The question is, “How?”
There is no best way to lose weight, but most experts put the emphasis on diet. Exercise should be part of the strategy for weight control, as well as for many other benefits (cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, balance, emotional health).
❝Women can take a proactive role in protecting their health by maintaining or moving toward a healthy weight through diet and physical activity.❞
—Rachel Lustgarten, MS, RD
Dietitian, Comprehensive Weight Control Program, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
“For those of us who are not Olympic athletes,” says Lustgarten, “the emphasis should be on diet. Diet impacts weight status much more profoundly.”
She adds that making healthy food choices throughout the day—more fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, and fewer processed or refined foods—and adding about 30 minutes of activity (like brisk walk-ing) is a great start.
The answer to the weight-loss question, then, is to concentrate on healthy eating, aided by regular exercise.
Taking control
Perhaps the most important message coming out of the AICR/WCRF report is about taking control of your health. “Women can take a proactive role in protecting their health by maintaining or moving toward a healthy weight through diet and physical activity,” concludes Lustgarten.
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