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Investigating the link between being overweight and colon cancer
Sep 4, 2005 - 8:17:00 PM, Reviewed by: Dr.
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�We are extremely grateful to the world cancer research fund for this grant. On average, across the entire population, you have a 1 in 50 chance of developing colon cancer so it is vitally important that people should take preventative measures to try and avoid this disease, which includes maintaining a healthy weight.�
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By University of Leeds,
Researchers at the University of Leeds are investigating the link between being overweight and the risk of colon cancer with a grant of �98,587 from the world cancer research fund.
Professor Mark Hull, who is leading the research, and his team are testing whether being overweight leads to inflammation of the colon and whether this explains the increase in the risk of cancer developing.
It is thought that inflammation creates an imbalance in cell turnover between cells dying and new cells forming, so that cells can then become cancerous. Laboratory studies have shown that an eight per cent reduction in body weight leads to a 40 per cent drop in this cell turnover and so maintaining a healthy weight may be an important factor in avoiding colon cancer along with other measures such as eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and taking exercise.
Professor Mark Hull, from the University of Leeds school of medicine said: �We are extremely grateful to the world cancer research fund for this grant. On average, across the entire population, you have a 1 in 50 chance of developing colon cancer so it is vitally important that people should take preventative measures to try and avoid this disease, which includes maintaining a healthy weight.�
Dr Elaine Stone, senior research manager at the world cancer research fund said: �Our funding is vital for research of this kind. We believe that many cancers can be avoided by eating a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a stable weight throughout life and this research will add to the wealth of information that already exists supporting this.�
The team are working with a group of extremely obese patients who are undergoing stomach bypass surgery that will enable them to lose 25-30kg (between 3 stone 9lbs and 4 stone 7 lbs) in the six months following surgery. The results of this operation mean when food is eaten only a certain amount of nutrients are absorbed by the body as the food enters the digestive system lower down.
A sample of bowel is taken from the patient before the surgery and the level of inflammation will be measured. Six months following surgery patients will be invited to return to the hospital for a follow up to see whether this has reduced.
There are 200,000 overweight people in Leeds and every year the hospital performs about 50 stomach bypass operations. Prior to surgery the patient will have undergone a variety of other weight loss interventions such as, advice on weight control, diet, exercise and lifestyle, drug therapy, referral to specialist weight loss clinics, behavioural therapy and low calorie and very low calorie diets. 
- University of Leeds
University of Leeds
World cancer research fund (WCRF UK) is a registered charity, number 1000739. Our mission is to raise awareness that the risk of cancer is reduced by healthy food and nutrition, physical activity and weight management, and to develop and strengthen scientific knowledge of the relation of these factors to cancer prevention.
The evidence for this was provided by our first expert report �Food, nutrition and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective�, published in 1997. This was a review of the thousands of leading international research studies that relate to food, nutrition and cancer prevention and produced a clear set of guidelines for members of the public to follow. A second report, the WCRF/AICR* �Food, nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective�, will be published in 2007 and will be the most authoritative of its kind.
Few people realise that 30 to 40 per cent of cancers, including many cases of bowel, breast and stomach cancer could be prevented if only we thought more about the food that we eat and included a little more exercise into our daily routines.
WCRF UK is part of the WCRF global network and is a member of WCRF International which has affiliates in the United States
(*American Institute for Cancer Research) the Netherlands, Hong Kong and France.
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