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Obesity and Cancer—Opportunities to Break the Link

  • Translational Research (T King and E Mittendorf, Section Editors)
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Abstract

Obesity is a major global health problem with a rising worldwide burden. In addition to its association with several diseases, obesity is associated with increased incidence and worse prognosis for many malignances. Many possible mechanisms that contribute to the obesity-cancer link have been proposed, but key pathways likely include steroid hormone signaling, altered gut microbiota, insulin and insulin growth factor interactions, levels of circulating adipokines, and local and systemic inflammation. By understanding these mechanisms and their interactions, we may be able to intervene to improve the public health burden imposed by obesity. Equally critical to the development of targeted intervention strategies is the identification of accurate biomarkers to better detect populations that are more or less likely to benefit from specific interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 300 East 66th Street – 8th floor, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Daniel F. Argolo, Clifford A. Hudis & Neil M. Iyengar

  2. Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    Clifford A. Hudis & Neil M. Iyengar

  3. CLION - CAM group, Salvador, BA, Brazil

    Daniel F. Argolo

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  1. Daniel F. Argolo
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  2. Clifford A. Hudis
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Correspondence to Neil M. Iyengar.

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Clifford A. Hudis declares no conflict of interest. Daniel F. Argolo reports grants from Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO for 2014 Long-term International Fellowship (LIFe) Award and travel support from Roche for 2014 ASCO. Neil M. Iyengar reports grants from Breast Cancer Research Foundation, from Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO.

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Argolo, D.F., Hudis, C.A. & Iyengar, N.M. Obesity and Cancer—Opportunities to Break the Link. Curr Breast Cancer Rep 8, 22–31 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12609-016-0200-0

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