A report issued by the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concludes that obesity plays a role in at least thirteen types of cancer, which accounts for about 40% of all cancer diagnoses in a given year. These cancers include brain cancer; multiple myeloma; esophageal cancer; postmenopausal breast cancer; thyroid cancer; gallbladder cancer; stomach cancer; liver cancer; pancreatic cancer; renal cancer; ovarian cancer; uterine cancer; and colon cancer. The specific mechanism for how being obese increases the risk of developing these types of cancers is unknown, but it’s reasonable to suggest that weight management could be an important tool in reducing one’s cancer risk.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 2017