By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.May 29 2023Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. Previous epidemiological studies have revealed that obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancers, including those affecting the esophagus, colon/rectum, breast, kidney, liver, ovary, and pancreas. Although the burden of obesity-related cancers is highly prominent in the sixteen Southern African Development Community countries, their time trends are unknown.
*Important notice: Preprints with The Lancet publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. The International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Global Cancer Observatory study reported that, among all cancer types, breast and colorectal cancers are the most diagnosed, while liver and stomach cancers are the most common causes of death.
Related StoriesTo estimate mortality due to individual cancer types, scientists used the Cause of Death Ensemble Model and Spatio-Temporal Gaussian regression. In addition, each type of cancer was systematically searched on Medline. Study findings Mortality due to breast cancer was significantly higher as compared to other cancer types, such as gallbladder/biliary tract and thyroid. Overall, negative AROCs in males and females for esophageal and leukemia cancers were obtained, thus indicating that mortality due to these cancers is trending in the right direction.
African governments, especially in the SADC, require investments to prevent cancer and early disease diagnosis. Additional investments are needed to provide cancer care services.