Study: Obese Premenopausal Women Have Double the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Obese women who have not yet entered menopause have double the risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to women of the same age who are not overweight, according to researchers.

However, obese women who have gone through menopause not only do not have any higher risk of colorectal cancer than their slimmer counterparts, but may actually have a slightly lower risk, the researchers reported in the journal GUT.

Researchers led by Dr. Paul Terry of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York came to the conclusions after analyzing data on almost 90,000 women recruited between the ages of 40 and 59 years to take part in the Canadian National Breast Screening Study.

During the average of 10 years that these women were followed, 527 women were diagnosed with colorectal cancer (363 with colon cancer and 164 with rectal cancer).

"Among premenopausal women, obesity was associated with a statistically significant nearly twofold increased risk of colorectal cancer," the researchers said. "This association was strongest for cancers of the distal colon but was evident for cancers of the rectum and proximal colon also.

" In contrast, there was no positive association between obesity and colorectal cancer risk among postmenopausal women," the researchers added. "If anything, there was a tendency towards a small to moderate decreased risk among obese postmenopausal women, particularly for colon cancer."

"Given the relatively high incidence of colorectal cancer in Western populations, and the rising prevalence of obesity, especially in younger age groups, the possible benefits with respect to this disease should be added to the list of potential advantages of weight control," the researchers concluded.

Other sources: GUT