Cervical cancer is most common among women in India. However, it goes unnoticed in most women. In this article, we will learn if cervical cancer can cause weight gain and if obesity can cause cervical cancer.
Can cervical cancer cause weight gain?
Not exactly. In fact, just like various other cancers, there is an association of cervical cancer with a loss of appetite. Additionally, weight loss may be a problem irrespective of the amount of consumption of food.
The recommendation of lifestyle modifications is an essential aspect of clinical management for cervical cancer patients undergoing surgery and Radiotherapy. Maintaining normal body weight may improve the treatment outcome. Therefore, with respect to treatment in cervical cancer patients, there must be careful observation in cases of those who are overweight or obese.
Can obesity cause cervical cancer?
Research indicated that approximately 20% of cervical cancers can be attributed to overweight or obesity in the women in our study who underwent routine cervical screening. Similarly, according to one research, there is a modest positive association between body mass index (BMI) and cervical cancer. There is a link between obesity and an increase in the risk of cancer recurrence and mortality. It is most likely due to the treatment and/or co-morbidities present in the patient.
Research indicated that obesity (body mass index-BMI>30) and overweight (BMI>25) have a direct association with increase in the risk of many cancers. The cause behind this may be genetic changes, adipose-tissue-related inflammatory changes, changes in the metabolism of endogenous hormones, and the production of specific proteins and cytokines. Cervical cancer patients who are obese, especially in the postmenopausal period, show higher mortality as obese women are more vulnerable to cancer occurrence. They will likely miss routine cancer screening, putting them at a greater risk for delayed diagnosis, eventually deteriorating prognosis.
A meta-analysis done in 2016 indicate that there is no association of being overweight with an increased risk of cervical cancer. But obesity is weakly associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. Nevertheless, we need more study to give conclusive evidence on this.
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