Weight Finally Linked Conclusively to Ovarian Cancer
Want to avoid ovarian cancer? Stay close to your ideal weight.
That's the conclusion of a new study out of two cancer centers, which found that obesity is linked to ovarian cancer. Several studies have been done on this, but this is the first time the suspicion has been confirmed.
One of the most deadly cancers a woman can get, ovarian cancer is diagnosed in over 22,000 women a year, over 14,000 of whom die.
The reason it's such a killer is that it's a hard disease to detect. No exact diagnosis tool can tell when you might be developing it, like breast, leading to early treatment and cure. Most often it's found in an advanced stage, because the symptoms can mimic many other illnesses (bloating, indigestion, nausea, feelings of pressure in the pelvis or lower back, fatigue). By the time the cancer is diagnosed, it's often too late to treat successfully.
So how heavy is too heavy? Experts say a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 indicates that you're overweight. Over 30, you're obese.
Obesity has been linked to other cancers, as well, including colon, uterus, esophagus, kidney, gallbladder, thyroid and pancreas, as well as postmenopausal breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, reports Liz Szabo of USA Today.
"Maintaining a healthy weight could prevent about one in five of these cancers, or more than 120,000 a year, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research," she writes.
That's the conclusion of a new study out of two cancer centers, which found that obesity is linked to ovarian cancer. Several studies have been done on this, but this is the first time the suspicion has been confirmed.
One of the most deadly cancers a woman can get, ovarian cancer is diagnosed in over 22,000 women a year, over 14,000 of whom die.
The reason it's such a killer is that it's a hard disease to detect. No exact diagnosis tool can tell when you might be developing it, like breast, leading to early treatment and cure. Most often it's found in an advanced stage, because the symptoms can mimic many other illnesses (bloating, indigestion, nausea, feelings of pressure in the pelvis or lower back, fatigue). By the time the cancer is diagnosed, it's often too late to treat successfully.
So how heavy is too heavy? Experts say a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 indicates that you're overweight. Over 30, you're obese.
Obesity has been linked to other cancers, as well, including colon, uterus, esophagus, kidney, gallbladder, thyroid and pancreas, as well as postmenopausal breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, reports Liz Szabo of USA Today.
"Maintaining a healthy weight could prevent about one in five of these cancers, or more than 120,000 a year, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research," she writes.
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