Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - 56

Don't Weight

Too Long
Extra pounds increase your
risk of cancer BY CHRISTOPHER HAGENSTAD, MD
You probably
already knew being
overweight or obese
increased your risk
of conditions such
as heart disease
and diabetes. But
did you know
excess weight also
Christopher
increases your risk
Hagenstad, MD,
of cancer?
an oncologist
aﬃliated with
Despite growing
GMC's Center for
awareness about
Cancer Care
their seriousness
and prevalence throughout the world,
excess weight and obesity continue to be
major health concerns. Together, they
make up one of the leading causes of
preventable deaths in the U.S.
This is largely because carrying extra
weight increases the risk of developing
a number of health problems, including
conditions such as heart disease, type 2
diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol,
high blood pressure and cancer.
While there are many
factors that aﬀect the risk
of developing cancer, such

as age and family history, obesity is
one of the key risk factors that people
have the power to change. Surprisingly,
it is estimated that excess body weight
contributes to nearly 1 in 5 cancerrelated deaths.

How Excess Weight
Increases Your
CANCER RISK
Subacute inﬂ ammation. Excess
weight often causes chronic, low levels
of inﬂammation throughout the body.
Long-term inﬂammation can damage
DNA, which has been shown to increase
cancer risk.
Abnormal estrogen levels. Fat tissue
is known to impact the production of
estrogen and other hormones. Excess
amounts of estrogen increase the risk
of breast, endometrial, ovarian and
other cancers.
Irregular levels of insulin. Overweight
people often have higher blood levels of
insulin and insulinlike growth factor-1.
These increased levels impact factors

related to cell growth. This in turn
can make the growth of certain tumors
more likely and increase the risk of colon,
kidney, prostate and endometrial cancers.
Altered cell growth. Fat cells
produce hormones known as adipokines.
These hormones impact cell growth
regulators, which in turn stimulate or
inhibit cell growth.
Weakened immune system. Recent
studies have shown that obesity weakens
immune response, which leads to an
increased risk of infection.

Lowering Your
CANCER RISK
Focus on adopting healthy lifestyle
behaviors. This includes:
* Eating plenty of fresh produce
* Maintaining a healthy weight
* Limiting processed meats
* Consuming alcohol in moderation
* Not using tobacco
Make an appointment with your
doctor to better understand your cancer
risk. Work with your doctor to identify
and reduce your risk factors. ■

EXCESS WEIGHT CAN
INCREASE YOUR RISK
OF CANCER OF THE:
3 Breast
3 Colon and rectum
3 Endometrium
3 Esophagus
3 Kidney
3 Pancreas

3 Gallbladder
3 Liver
3 Cervix
3 Ovary
3 Prostate
3 Thyroid

WEBSITE

Don't Put Oﬀ Prevention

56

WI NT ER 2 0 1 7

PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK

Each of us is at risk of developing cancer. But annual wellness visits and
routine health screenings can dramatically reduce your cancer risk.
At Gwinnett Medical Center's Center for Cancer Care, our experts are
committed to providing the best in patient-centered care. Learn more by
visiting gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/preventionguidelines.
http://www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/preventionguidelines
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center
