Obesity and Kidney Cancer
The researchers out of New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center examined 1,640 male and female (average age 62) patients who had surgery to remove kidney tumors at the facility between January 2000 and December 2007.
They found that obese patients (BMIs over 30) were 48% more likely to have a clear cell renal cell cancer (RCC) – one of the more deadly varieties of kidney cancer, than those with a body mass index under 30. The odds went up by 4% for each extra BMI point.
As a result of their work, the scientists found that malignant tumors with clear cell RCC appeared in 67% of obese patients who had malignant tumors, compared to 57% of non-obese patients with malignant tumors.
The extra pounds added a full 10% increased risk in the study subjects, even after adjustments for tumor size, age, gender, hypertension, diabetes and smoking had been made.
Obese and non-obese patients had similar rates for other kinds of malignant tumors including papillary, chromophobe and collecting duct.
The American Cancer Society estimates 57,760 new kidney cancers will be diagnosed in the United States in 2009. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for almost 9 out of every 10 kidney cancers; with the subtype from the research, clear cell, appearing in about 8 of 10 of those with RCC.
Most of those who have this cancer are older – the average age at diagnosis is 65, with the incidence highest between the ages of 55 and 84.
An ultrasound or CT scan can usually spot a tumor, while the cancer cells themselves have a very pale or clear appearance when examined under a microscope.
Abdominal imaging has helped when it comes to increased detection of RCC, but can’t account for all the cases doctors see – rates of kidney cancer have been rising since the 1970s.
According to the researchers, the only other factors that appeared as independent predictors of RCC were being male and the size of the tumor.
This is the reason researchers concluded that BMI is likely to be another independent predictor of this form of cancer – as BMI goes up, so do your odds of developing RCC.
The team hopes that this work will help in determining a patient’s risk of having a clear cell RCC, and the treatments that might be recommended.
“A number of studies have suggested that obesity could be a risk factor for RCC, but the exact reason is unknown. Researchers suggest it might be secondary to hormonal changes, decreased immune function, hypertension or diabetes in obese patients,” says study author Dr. William T. Lowrance of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
While more work needs to be done to understand the pathology of clear cell RCC, this study offers a strong association between obesity and the most dangerous of the kidney cancers. If you’re worried about obesity health risks and your BMI number is higher than you would like, now’s the time to make the changes to get your weight under control.
You can do that by:
1. Visiting your healthcare provider and asking them to assess your weight and gain an accurate picture of not only your BMI, but also your waist measurements. Carrying more fat around the abdominal area can increase your risk of developing chronic health conditions.
2. Keeping a food and activity diary for at least two weeks to identify what you’re eating and the volume along with any exercise you do. This will give you a clear idea of when your’re overeating and help in planning in more exercise to your daily activities.
3. Speak to your doctor or dietician to work out a sensible eating plan that covers all the food groups to help you lose weight, while still providing a balanced diet that you will be able to follow. This should be regarded as a lifestyle change rather than a diet for a fixed period of time.
4. Consult your physician to discuss a suitable exercise plan. This is particularly relevant if you have not exercised in a while or don’t know where to start.
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Obesity and diabetes are becoming more and more of a problem these days. Actually it is easy to avoid being overweight by just having the proper diet and exercise.
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