Excess body fat now linked to 13 different types of cancer

Experts have linked eight more cancers to being overweight or obese, the Daily mail reports. This is the latest finding from a group of cancer experts from around the world that look at risk factors for cancer (International Agency for Research on Cancer).

The report is not exactly new research, but a review of previously published studies that looked at the link between weight and cancers.

It is the result of a working group of international cancer researchers who met to review the evidence in April this year.

The group’s new report concludes that, “the absence of excess body fatness lowers the risk of most cancers” also saying that losing weight intentionally may help prevent cancer.

They list 13 cancers where they say there is "sufficient" evidence to conclude that being a healthy weight reduces the risk of cancer, three where there is "limited" evidence, and eight where the evidence is "inadequate".

Here are the cancers they identify as having sufficient evidence to link them to weight:

• Oesophageal cancer: This is a type of cancer affecting the gullet. It mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s and is more common in men than women. The symptoms can include difficulty in swallowing, indigestion or heartburn, loss of appetite and weight loss, pain or discomfort in your upper tummy, chest or back.
• Gastric cardia – a type of stomach cancer and the symptoms are persistent indigestion and heartburn, feeling very full or bloated after meals, stomach pain and blood in stools or black stools, loss of appetite and weight loss when stomach cancer gets to the advance stage.
• Bowel cancer: cancer that begins in the large bowel, it is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer. There are three main signs and symptoms of bowel cancer – blood in the stools, looser stools and abdominal pain.
• Liver cancer: it is an uncommon but serious type of cancer that begins in the liver and the signs and symptoms appear at the an advanced stage – unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, feeling very full after eating, feeling sick and vomiting, pain or swelling in your abdomen, jaundice, itchy skin and feeling very tired and weak.
• Gallbladder cancer: It is a rare type of cancer and the symptoms appear at an advanced stage – abdominal pain, feeling sick and jaundice.
• Pancreatic cancer: This is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas. In the early stages, a tumour in the pancreas doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose. The noticeable symptoms are pain in the back or stomach area, unexpected weight loss, jaundice, nausea and vomiting, bowel changes, fever and shivering, indigestion and blood clots.
• Breast cancer in postmenopausal women the symptoms of breast cancer includes breast lumps, change in size or shape of one or both breasts, discharge from either of your nipples, lump or swelling in either of your armpits, dimpling on the skin of your breasts, a rash on or around your nipple, change in nipple appearance.
• Womb cancer: Cancer of the female reproductive system also known as uterine cancer and endometrial cancer and the most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding.
• Ovarian cancer: This is common in women who have been through menopause and the symptoms include persistent bloating, pain in the pelvis and lower stomach, difficulty eating.
• Kidney cancer: The eight most common cancers in adults and the signs and symptoms are blood in your urine, a persistent side pain just below the ribs and lump or swelling in the kidney area on either side of the body.
• Meningioma a type of brain tumour: A malignant brain tumour, which is a fast-growing cancer that spreads to other areas of the brain and spine. The signs and symptoms include severe, persistent headache, seizure, persistent nausea, vomiting and drowsiness, mental or behavioural changes such as memory problems or changes in personality, progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, vision problems or speech problems.
• Thyroid cancer: it is a rare type of cancer that affects the thyroid gland and the symptoms include a painless lump or swelling in the front of the neck – although only 1 in 20 neck lumps are cancer, swollen glands in the neck, sore throat that doesn’t get better, unexplained hoarseness and difficulty swallowing.
• Multiple myeloma: This is also known as myeloma, it is a type of bone marrow cancer and the signs and symptoms are persistent dull ache or specific area of tenderness in your bones, weak bones that break easily, tiredness, weakness and shortness of breath, repeated infections, less commonly bruising and unusual bleeding such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums and heavy periods.

How does weight and cancer affect you?

Excess body weight can lead to heart attack or stroke as well as being linked to a raised risk of the cancers listed above. The easiest way to keep a healthy weight is to avoid weight gain, if you are overweight, diet and exercise can help you achieve a healthier weight to prevent all the health conditions developing.

Advice

• You can lower your risk of cancer if you adopt the following:
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Stay physically active
• Drink less alcohol
• Stop smoking
• Protect your skin from sun damage