Obesity has been linked to the increased risk and aggressiveness of many types of carcinoma. A state of chronic inflammation in adipose tissue, resulting in genotoxic stress, may contribute to carcinogenesis and cancer initiation. This presentation summarises the possible link between obesity and cancer.

1. OBESITY AND CANCER –
AN UNCANNY ALLY
ARINDAM SAIN(CSIR-JRF), M.Sc.
(Human Physiology)
PHYSIOLOGY NEWS

2. • What is obesity?
o Obesity is a condition in which a
person has an unhealthy amount
and/or distribution of body fat.
o To measure obesity, researchers
commonly use a scale known as
the body mass index (BMI). BMI is
calculated by dividing a person’s
weight (in kilograms) by their height
(in meters) squared (commonly
expressed as kg/m2).
o It is estimated that 20% of all cancer
cases are caused by obesity.
PHYSIOLOGY NEWSNational Cancer Institute

3. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Cancers associated with Overweight and Obesity

4. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Contribution of Adipose Tissue to Development of
Cancer.
 Solid tumor growth requires the interaction of tumor cells with the
surrounding tissue, leading to a view of tumors as communities rather than
exclusively tumor cells.
 Adipose tissue, or fat, plays important roles in cancer risk and outcome
because many tumors grow close to or in direct contact with adipose.
 The adipose community—or microenvironment—includes adipocytes and
adipose-associated stromal and vascular components, such as fibroblasts and
other connective tissue cells and extracellular signalling and matrix
components
 Obesity dramatically modifies the adipose tissue microenvironment in
numerous ways, which intriguingly resemble shifts observed within the tumor
microenvironment.
 Understanding neighboring adipose is critical in tumorigenesis.

5. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Tumors as communities
Cozzo et al. , 2018

6. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Changes in Adipose Tissue During Weight Gain
Khandekar et al., 2011

7. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Adipokine and inflammatory signalling in obesity

8. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Obesity and Breast Cancer Risk
 Obesity increases postmenopausal ER positive breast cancer risk and
mortality.
 Increased estrogens and inflammatory mediators contribute to the aggressive
breast cancer phenotype in obesity.
 Observational studies support ongoing trials to test whether exercise/weight
loss interventions will decrease breast cancer mortality.

9. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
The Role of Obesity in Tumorigenesis
CANCER J CLIN 2017

10. Obese Tissue Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Induces Invasive
Traits in Breast Cancer Cells
Druso et al., 2018 PHYSIOLOGY NEWS

11. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
The effects of obesity and weight loss on breast cancer
metastasis
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY

12. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
Obesity and cancer: inflammation bridges the two
Kolb et al., 2016

13. • Interaction between Adipose Tissue and epithelium
during cancer initiation and progression
PHYSIOLOGY NEWS

14. Factors proposed to affect obesity and carcinogenesis
PHYSIOLOGY NEWSStone et al., 2019

15. PHYSIOLOGY NEWS
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