Weight Loss Surgery May Cut Bowel Cancer Risk: Study

Weight loss surgery may reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer by one-third, according to an analysis of relevant studies. Obesity increases the risk of many conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and most cancers, including colorectal cancer, said researchers from Jaber Al-Ahmed Hospital in Kuwait.

The study, published in the British Journal of Surgery, found that patients who underwent bariatric, or weight loss surgery, had a greater than 35 per cent reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer, compared with obese individuals who had no surgery.

The analysis included seven studies with a total of 1,213,727 patients and an average follow-up of seven years.

It was conducted because individual studies have presented conflicting results, said the researchers.

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"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 from Jaber Al-Ahmed Hospital.

"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," Almazeedi said.

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, the researchers said.