Women who are very obese and go through early menopause may have a substantially elevated risk of endometrial cancer.
Women who are very obese and go through early menopause may have a substantially elevated risk of endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer arises in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, and various factors related to women's hormone production - such as timing of menopause, number of pregnancies and body weight - have been linked to the risk of developing the disease.
Researchers from America studied 3,600 US women ages 20 to 54 years to confirm the relationship between obesity and higher endometrial cancer risk. It was found that among women who had had their last menstrual period before age 45 and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 (obese=30) were nearly 22 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than normal-weight women.
Of women who reached menopause later, very obese women had a roughly four-fold greater risk of the cancer. Women who were less severely overweight also had a higher endometrial cancer risk than normal-weight women, regardless of when they entered menopause. But they also suggest that the timing of menopause is key in that relationship.
The reasons for the interplay between high BMI and earlier menopause are not clear. While obesity has often been tied to a higher risk of endometrial cancer, earlier menopause has typically been linked to a lower risk. Both factors are thought to affect endometrial cancer risk via oestrogen; earlier menopause limits a woman's lifetime exposure to oestrogen, possibly lowering the risk of the cancer. Obesity, in contrast, may increase a woman's risk because excess fat tissue can raise estrogen levels.
It's possible that obese women with an earlier menopause were more likely to have irregularities in their menstrual cycles throughout life. And that, the researchers note, could indicate hormonal irregularities that may affect endometrial cancer risk.
Whatever the reasons, the findings concluded that the high cancer risk linked to obesity underscores the need for clinicians to counsel young women on the benefits of maintaining or achieving a normal weight throughout childbearing years and before entering menopause.
Endometrial cancer arises in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, and various factors related to women's hormone production - such as timing of menopause, number of pregnancies and body weight - have been linked to the risk of developing the disease.
Researchers from America studied 3,600 US women ages 20 to 54 years to confirm the relationship between obesity and higher endometrial cancer risk. It was found that among women who had had their last menstrual period before age 45 and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 (obese=30) were nearly 22 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than normal-weight women.
Of women who reached menopause later, very obese women had a roughly four-fold greater risk of the cancer. Women who were less severely overweight also had a higher endometrial cancer risk than normal-weight women, regardless of when they entered menopause. But they also suggest that the timing of menopause is key in that relationship.
The reasons for the interplay between high BMI and earlier menopause are not clear. While obesity has often been tied to a higher risk of endometrial cancer, earlier menopause has typically been linked to a lower risk. Both factors are thought to affect endometrial cancer risk via oestrogen; earlier menopause limits a woman's lifetime exposure to oestrogen, possibly lowering the risk of the cancer. Obesity, in contrast, may increase a woman's risk because excess fat tissue can raise estrogen levels.
It's possible that obese women with an earlier menopause were more likely to have irregularities in their menstrual cycles throughout life. And that, the researchers note, could indicate hormonal irregularities that may affect endometrial cancer risk.
Whatever the reasons, the findings concluded that the high cancer risk linked to obesity underscores the need for clinicians to counsel young women on the benefits of maintaining or achieving a normal weight throughout childbearing years and before entering menopause.
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