From obesity to cancer: a review on proposed mechanisms

• Published in: Cell biochemistry and function Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 533 - 545
• Main Authors: Tahergorabi, Zoya, Khazaei, Majid, Moodi, Mitra, Chamani, Elham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: adipose tissue; Animals; Cancer; Disease Models, Animal; Estrogens; Global health; Growth factors; Hormones; Humans; Leukemia; mechanism; Models, Biological; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - metabolism; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - metabolism; Risk factors; adipose tissue; cancer; mechanism; obesity
• ISSN: 0263-6484; 1099-0844; 1099-0844
• DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3229

Nowadays, obesity is considered as a serious and growing global health problem. It is documented that the overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a series of noncommunicable diseases, and in recent years, the obesity‐cancer link has received much attention. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased risk of several cancer types, including colon, breast, endometrium, liver, kidney, esophagus, gastric, pancreatic, gallbladder, and leukemia, and can also lead to poorer treatment. We review here the epidemiological and experimental evidences for the association between obesity and cancer. Specifically, we discuss potential mechanisms focusing how dysfunctional angiogenesis, chronic inflammation, interaction of proinflammatory cytokines, endocrine hormones, and adipokines including leptin, adiponectin insulin, growth factors, estrogen, and progesterone and strikingly, cell metabolism alteration in obesity participate in tumor development and progression, resistance to chemotherapy, and targeted therapies such as antiangiogenic and immune therapies.