Link for Excess Body Fat, Ovarian Cancer Risk

(HealthDay News) — Body fatness, marked by body mass index, is probably associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer, according to a report published March 11 by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

Researchers from WCRF/AICR, in collaboration with Imperial College London, updated evidence relating to food, nutrition, physical activity, body fatness, and cancer research. The updates were based on panel discussions of the Continuous Update Project Ovarian Cancer Systematic Literature Review, and included research papers published until Dec. 31, 2012.

According to the report, convincing evidence was found for a correlation between adult attained height and increased risk of ovarian cancer. Probable evidence was found for an increased risk of ovarian cancer in association with body fatness, marked by body mass index. Limited evidence suggests that lactation may prevent ovarian cancer risk. No conclusion could be drawn for other factors, including vegetable, fruit, legumes, red meat, processed meat, and energy intake, or for physical activity or abdominal fatness.

“These latest findings from the Continuous Update Project offer another reminder that our weight, and our lifestyle, play an important role in cancer risk for both women and men,” Alice Bender, RDN, associate director of nutrition programs at the AICR, said in a statement.

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