Researchers Say Bariatric Surgery Reduces Cancer Risks Up to 80%

Posted by Patient Help Desk on June 8, 2008 under Bariatric Research News |

Let’s see, if you’re considering undergoing bariatric surgery, what are some of the possible benefits? Well, of course there’s the motivation to control your hunger and drop those harmful, unwanted pounds. And of course, a growing number of studies suggest that these procedures may reduce the development of various cardiovascular conditions, as well as diabetes. But now, research is emerging that may point the way towards these procedures’ startling cancer-fighting potential!

According to a Canadian study, five years after having this procedure, breast and colon cancer rates were shown to decrease by 80%. These are two of the most common cancers types. For this study, it was found that breast cancer’s incidence rate decreased by 85%, while colon cancer incidence rates decreased by 70%.

So far, medical experts are unclear as to just how weight reduction contributes to decreases in cancer incidences. One theory proposed is that of the role of fat in various cancers, including breast cancer. Fat secretes estrogen, which may play a part in these cancers’ development. So if this fat is lost, it may reduce cancer development, while also decreasing amounts of potentially harmful hormones, as well.

“This is really powerful information,” says Dr. Philip Schauer of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, as well as the past president of the American Society of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. “It reaffirms that obesity is a profound risk factor for cancer” and shows that “weight loss does seem to affect the development of new cancers.”

However, this attitude is not universally shared by all researchers. First and foremost, the study only goes back five years, and cancer typically requires much longer to form. In addition, before these patients undergo weight loss surgery, they receive various cancer-screening tests, such as colonoscopies, endoscopies and mammograms. Plus, it’s important to point out that the study’s subjects were Canadian, meaning they may not have received continuous cancer screenings. Finally, a large percentage of the study’s subjects had their procedures as long ago as 15 years; as a result, any cancers were given the proper amount of development time.