A study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has highlighted a concerning link: unintentional weight loss might signal an increased risk of cancer diagnosis within the next year.
This finding, published in the JAMA on January 23, 2024, emphasizes the importance of paying attention to unexpected changes in body weight.
Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, the study’s lead investigator and Director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, advises that people experiencing unintended weight loss should see their doctor.
“If you’re losing weight without trying, it’s important to find out why,” he says. While there are many reasons for sudden weight loss, a doctor can determine if it’s something that needs further examination.
The study found that unexpected weight loss was significantly linked to a higher risk of various types of cancer.
These include cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract (such as esophageal, stomach, liver, biliary tract, and pancreatic cancers), blood cancers (like non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia), colorectal cancer, and lung cancer.
However, it didn’t show a connection with other cancer types, including breast, genitourinary, brain cancer, or melanoma.
Wolpin points out that while weight loss can be a result of positive lifestyle changes like more exercise or a healthier diet, unintentional weight loss could be a sign of something more serious, including cancer.
It’s crucial to consult a primary care doctor if you’re losing weight unexpectedly and not because of healthier habits.
The study involved a large number of participants, 157,474, from two long-term studies: The Nurses’ Health Study, which began in 1976 with nurses aged 30 to 55, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which started in 1986 with male health professionals aged 40 to 75. These participants were followed until 2016.
Participants reported their weight every two years through a questionnaire, which also asked about physical activity and dietary changes every four years.
This data allowed the researchers, including Qiaoli Wang, MD, Ph.D., a research fellow at Dana-Farber and the study’s first author, to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy weight loss.
Healthy weight loss could be due to diet and exercise changes, but unexplained weight loss might be a sign of underlying health issues, including cancer.
This study underscores the importance of monitoring weight changes and consulting healthcare professionals when weight loss is unexpected.
Such vigilance could potentially lead to early detection of serious health conditions, including various forms of cancer.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies about how to fight cancer with these anti-cancer superfoods, and results showing daily vitamin D3 supplementation may reduce cancer death risk.
The research findings can be found in JAMA.
Copyright © 2024 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
