Increasing waist size, high BMI and type-2 diabetes a cause for liver cancer
A study published in journal Cancer Research has found that individuals with high body mass index (BMI), increased waist circumference, and type-2 diabetes may be at a higher risk of developing liver cancer.
The study found that for every 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI, there was a 38% increase in the risk for liver cancer in men, while in women the increase in risk was 25%.
The increase in risk for liver cancer was 8% for every 5 cm increase in waist circumference.
The researchers said that those having type-2 diabetes mellitus were 2.61 times more likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer, and the risk increased with an increase in BMI.
‘Liver cancer isn’t simply related to excess alcohol intake and viral hepatitis infection. We found that each of these three factors was associated, robustly, with liver cancer risk. All three relate to metabolic dysfunction,’ said Peter Campbell, researcher at the American Cancer Society.
The study adds support to the fact that liver cancer is on the list of obesity-associated cancers.
Campbell further said, ‘Thus, this is yet another reason to maintain a body weight in the normal range for your height’.
The results are also consistent with other data indicating that obesity and diabetes might be playing a role in the rapid increase in liver cancer in recent decades, he added.
Data from 1.57 million adults enrolled in 14 different US-based prospective studies were pooled for the study.
