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Cancer Diagnoses After Recent Weight Loss
Qiao-Li Wang1,2, Ana Babic1, Michael H Rosenthal3,4
1Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.
JAMA
|January 23, 2024
Summary
Unexplained weight loss in health professionals is linked to a higher risk of developing cancer within the following year. This association is particularly strong for upper gastrointestinal tract cancers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Unexplained weight loss is a common clinical observation.
- The association between recent weight loss and subsequent cancer risk remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the rates of cancer diagnoses in health professionals experiencing weight loss.
- To compare cancer incidence in individuals with and without recent weight loss.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort analysis of the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
- Weight change assessed biennially; intentionality categorized based on diet and physical activity.
- Cancer diagnoses tracked for 12 months post-weight change over extensive person-years of follow-up.
Main Results:
- Participants with >10% body weight loss showed a significantly higher cancer rate (1362/100,000 person-years) versus those without (869/100,000 person-years).
- Low intentionality weight loss cases had a markedly elevated cancer risk (2687/100,000 person-years) compared to controls (1220/100,000 person-years).
- Upper gastrointestinal tract cancers were notably more frequent in the weight loss group (173/100,000 person-years) versus the control group (36/100,000 person-years).
Conclusions:
- Recent weight loss in health professionals is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer.
- Upper gastrointestinal cancers are disproportionately represented among individuals experiencing recent weight loss.
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