Preventing Endometrial Cancer : Weighing the Evidence
Menée auprès de 36 794 femmes ménopausées (durée moyenne de suivi : 11,4 ans ; âge : 50 à 79 ans), cette étude évalue, en fonction de l'indice de masse corporelle initial, l'association entre une perte de poids intentionnelle et le risque de cancer de l'endomètre (566 cas)
In women, endometrial cancer is the cancer type most strongly associated with obesity. Compared with normal-weight women, women who have class-3 obesity are seven times more likely to develop endometrial cancer.1 The mechanism by which obesity promotes endometrial carcinogenesis is through conversion of androgens to estrogen by adipocytes. Increased adiposity in postmenopausal women leads to increased estrogen production, which in turn stimulates endometrial proliferation and, potentially, the development of hyperplasia and cancer. The increasing rate of obesity has been paralleled by an increasing incidence of endometrial cancer in developed countries. This represents a major public health challenge, because it is estimated that nearly 60% of endometrial cancers in the United States are attributable to excess weight.