Weight-loss surgery cuts risk of developing colorectal cancer by more than a third

DALLAS: People who had weight-loss surgery were 37% less likely to develop colorectal cancer compared to individuals with obesity who did not have the surgery, according to a new study* presented here today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting (#ASMBS2022).

The American Cancer Society estimates that this year more than 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Having obesity or overweight increases the risk for many types of cancer including colorectal cancer, as well as other life threatening diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

In a metaanalysis, researchers from the Military Institution of Aviation Medicine in Warsaw, Poland, Texas Tech School of Medicine in El Paso and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, MN examined data from 13 previous studies on weight-loss surgery and colorectal cancer that followed more than 3.2 million patients for up to 10 years. The included studies were published between 2008 and 2021, which researchers say covers a longer and more up-to-date period than previous systematic reviews on the subject.