Weight loss surgery may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer

Weight loss surgery may reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer by one-third, according to an analysis of all relevant published studies. The findings are published in BJS (British Journal of Surgery).

Obesity increases the risk of many conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and most cancers, including colorectal cancer. The BJS analysis, which included seven studies with a total of 1,213,727 patients and an average follow-up of seven years, was conducted because individual studies have presented conflicting results.

The overall risk of developing colorectal cancer was 3 in 1,000 in patients with obesity who underwent weight loss surgery, compared with 4 in 1,000 in those who did not.

"Day by day, the scientific community is continuing to uncover the benefits of weight loss surgery, and this paper affirms this," said lead author Sulaiman Almazeedi, MD, of Jaber Al-Ahmed Hospital, in Kuwait. "Obesity today remains one of the most preventable causes of morbid disease and early death, and despite the controversy, we believe weight loss surgery can be an important tool in tackling this epidemic."