Obesity Is Associated with Early Onset of Gastrointestinal Cancers in California

Abstract

Background Although it is well known that obesity is a risk factor for gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, it is not well established if obesity can cause earlier GI cancer onset. Methods A cross-sectional study examining the linked 2004–2008 California Cancer Registry Patient Discharge Database was performed to evaluate the association between obesity and onset age among four gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Regression models were constructed to adjust for other carcinogenic factors. Results The diagnosis of obesity (BMI > 30) was associated with a reduction in diagnosis age across all four cancer types: 3.25 ± 0.53 years for gastric cancer, 4.56 ± 0.18 years for colorectal cancer, 4.73 ± 0.73 years for esophageal cancer, and 5.35 ± 0.72 for pancreatic cancer. The diagnosis of morbid obesity (BMI > 40) was associated with a more pronounced reduction in the age of diagnosis: 5.48 ± 0.96 years for gastric cancer, 7.75 ± 0.30 years for colorectal cancer, 7.67 ± 1.26 years for esophageal cancer, and 8.19 ± 1.25 years for pancreatic cancer. Both morbid obesity and obesity remained strongly associated with earlier cancer diagnosis for all four cancer types even after adjusting for other available cancer risk factors. Conclusions The diagnosis of obesity, especially morbid obesity, was associated with a significantly earlier gastrointestinal cancer onset in California. Further research with prospective cohort data may be required to establish the causal relationship between obesity and cancer onset age.

Analysis of the Incidence and Survival of Gastric Cancer Based on the Lauren Classification: A Large Population-Based Study Using SEER

“…The increasing trend of diffused-type GC, especially at an earlier age (40–49 years old), suggests that there has been a real increase in risk ( 22 ). According to some studies, obesity was apparently associated with gastrointestinal cancer and the number of obese young people was increased, which accounted for the increased incidence of younger patients with diffused-type GC ( 24 , 25 ). To our knowledge, signet ring cell carcinoma which belongs to diffused-type GC was more frequent to occur in younger patients, and we also found it to be increased in young patients with diffused type ( 26 ).…”

Association Between Life‐Course Obesity and Frailty in Older Adults: Findings in the GAZEL Cohort

“…Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in industrialized countries, and it may increase the medical burden of aging populations in a very near future. Indeed, obesity has been associated with numerous comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease , osteoarthritis , and cancer . Obesity also contributes to low‐grade chronic inflammation and tissue remodeling .…”

ZBTB20 promotes cell migration and invasion of gastric cancer by inhibiting IκBα to induce NF-κB activation

“…The formation of gastric cancer is a complex process, which eventually develops into gastric cancer from precancerous lesions such as superficial and atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a common chronic infection that is one of the most important risk factors for gastric cancer compared with others such as genetic factors, high-salt diets, smoked foods, smoking, and alcohol abuse [3]. H. pylori infection is necessary but not sufficient for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma.…”