Overweight and obesity in the UK are already a more common cause of certain cancers than smoking, warns Cancer Research UK. These are cancers such as colon, liver, kidney and ovarian cancer.
The British organization admits, however, that smoking is still the most common cause of oncological diseases, considering all cancers, especially lung cancer, reports BBC News.
Cancer Research UK has published the latest data in connection with a new educational campaign aimed at combating obesity and overweight. In many cities, billboards showing that cancer incidence is increasing along with the escalation of the “obesity epidemic”. In the case of the colon, liver, kidney and ovary, it is a more common cause of disease than smoking.
The organization calculates that in Great Britain, 42 annual cases of colorectal cancer, 4,8 thous. can be associated with obesity and overweight, and 2,9 thousand. with smoking. Kidney cancer is 12,9 thousand. cases per year, of which 2,9 thous. is obese, and 1,6 thousand. for smoking. Liver cancer causes 5,9 thousand. cases, of which for 1,3 thousand. is responsible for obesity, and for 1,2 thousand. – smoking. In turn, ovarian cancer is 7,5 thousand. total cases and 490 (obesity) and 25 (smoking).
However, taking into account all types of cancer, especially lung cancer, smoking is still twice as likely to cause cancer. Great Britain it is responsible for 54,3 thousand. cancer, while overweight and obesity – for 22,8 thousand.
This, however, will change. Cancer Research UK warns that obesity and overweight will be an increasingly common cause of cancer in the UK, and in about 25 years – if nothing changes – they will overtake smoking in this respect.
According to Cancer Research UK, even in 2035, 10% of smoking will be associated with smoking. neoplastic diseases, and with obesity and overweight – 9 percent. After this period, obesity is to precede nicotinism in this statistic. It will probably take place in 2043.
It is not yet known exactly how overweight and obesity contribute to the development of cancer in the body. Prof. Lydia Lynch from Trinity College Dublin claims in the “Nature Immunology” that fat cells block the body’s immune cells called natural killer (they produce natural killer cancer cells called cytotoxicity). However, it is suspected that adipose tissue produces many substances and hormones that facilitate oncogenesis and fuel tumor growth.