Bariatric surgery lowers women's risk for uterine cancer: study

Bariatric surgery lessens a woman's likelihood of contracting uterine cancer, according to new research.

The study found that obesity nearly tripled the risk of uterine cancer, while those women who maintained weight loss following bariatric surgery recorded a 71 percent lower risk of developing uterine cancer.

About two-thirds of the U.S. adult population is overweight or obese. It is a widespread public health problem that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer, in particular endometrial cancer.

The researchers, from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, analyzed data from 7,431,858 patients in the University HealthSystem Consortium -- a database that collects information from academic medical centers and affiliated hospitals throughout the United States. Within this sample, 103,797 people had undergone bariatric surgery and 44,345 had developed uterine cancer.

"Estimating from various studies that looked at increasing BMI and endometrial cancer risk, a woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 would have approximately eight times greater risk of endometrial cancer than someone with a BMI of 25," said study author Dr. Kristy Ward, of the department of reproductive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, in a statement. "This risk likely continues to go up as BMI goes up."

Obesity is a risk factor that can be modified, the researchers noted.

"It's clear that patients who are overweight and obese should be counseled about weight loss, and referral to a bariatric program should be considered in patients who meet criteria," Ward said.

Bariatric surgery involves reducing the size of the stomach. Patients who choose to go this route must then implement lifestyle changes to ensure long-term weight loss. Those who do may see as much as an 81 percent decrease in their uterine cancer risk.

Ward concluded: "The obesity epidemic is a complicated problem." Further work is needed to define the role of bariatric surgery in cancer care and prevention, but we know that women with endometrial cancer are more likely to die of cardiovascular causes than they are of endometrial cancer."