Bariatric surgery appears to lower the risk of developing obesity-associated cancers, according to a 10-year follow-up study due to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2023.
The study found that just 4% of patients with obesity who underwent weight-loss surgery developed obesity-associated cancer, compared to 8.9% of those who did not undergo such a procedure.
Lead author Dr. Vibhu Chittajallu, a gastroenterology fellow at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, said,
“This study adds to the building evidence that the significant weight loss associated with bariatric surgery may have a protective effect against cancer formation as well.”
The study examined the records of over 55,700 patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery and compared them with an equal number of similar patients who did not undergo surgery.
Patients who had sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass or gastric band procedures were included, and the study controlled for risk factors involved in cancer development, such as smoking history, alcohol use, heart disease, hormone therapies, and other comorbidities.
After a decade, 2,206 patients who underwent bariatric surgery developed obesity-associated cancers, compared to 4,960 patients who did not have surgery.
The bariatric surgery group had consistently lower numbers of new cases for virtually all types of obesity-related cancer, including breast, colon, liver, pancreas, ovarian, and thyroid.
“We need more research to understand how bariatric surgery affects cancer risk, but the significant findings from this study suggest it’s an exciting avenue for further study,” said Dr. Chittajallu.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that artificial sweeteners are linked to higher cancer risk, and how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and results showing vitamin D supplements strongly reduces cancer death.
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