[Obesity and risk of cancer in the woman]

Experimental studies in animals and investigations in human beings have demonstrated that an increase of body fat mass and the increase of the waist/hip-ratio raises the risk of endometrial and breast cancer. There are also indications for an influence on ovarian and colon cancer. These effects by adipose tissue are created by endocrine changes such as an increase of total and free estradiol, changes in progesterone secretion, protein binding concentrations, growth factors and receptor action. Besides the increased risk for cancer there is also an effect on prognosis.