Does Bariatric Surgery Help to Reduce Cancer Risk

Recently read an article about how bariatric surgery for obese patient can cut cancer risk by 80 percent. The article states that morbidly obese patients, people who are 100 pounds (45 Kg) over weight who have undergone the weight loss surgery greatly reduce their risk of cancer. Researchers from McGill Univeresity in Montreal tracked 1,035 patients who had the surgery for five years. They also monitored 5,746 patients who matched the surgery group in age, weight and sex and did not have the surgery.

The evidence in this finding shows that having the weight loss surgery is better for your health and overall quality of life. A quote from Dr Nicolas Christou the head of the bariatic surgery who led the study stated that "The evidence is mounting that weight loss through weight-loss surgery, if you are extremely obese, is extremely beneficial both to your health as well as to your quality of life."

Being obese raises the risk of many forms of cancer including breast, colon, esophagus and kidney as well as heart diseases and diabetes. There has been an estimated 205,000 people who have had bariatric surgery in the United States last year and in addition to cutting the incidence of breast cancer by about 85 percent and colon cancer by about 70 percent, there was also a reduction in the risk of pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, uterine cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma the researcher said.

The New England Journal Medicine published findings last year that stated obese people who have had bariatric surgery have a lower risk of death from heart disease, diabetes as well as cancer compared to obese people who do not have such surgery.

Dr Daniel Gagne of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh who presented another study at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, states "There's an old misconception that this is cosmetic surgery. But actually, people who are overweight don't live as long because a lot of them develop weight-related health problems that shorten their lives. What we see in all these studies is that when people lose the weight, their health gets better."

There are other condition as well that are helped by weight loss surgery. Other studies at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery showed that most patients with asthma and arthritis were able to stop taking steroids to treat the conditions within about a year of having bariatric surgery. This study involved 49 morbidly obese patients who were taking steroids and other immunosuppressant medications to treat chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases.

Being morbidly obese in a major problem in America and in parts of the world. Having over 100 pound extra on your body and putting in bad food into you body creates many problems that lead to death. By losing less than half of excess weight within a year of bariatric surgery was enough for patients to see dramatic improvements in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and sleep apnea.