The role of obesity in gastrointestinal cancer: Evidence and opinion

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the impact of being overweight and obese on the development of cancers at diverse sites including the gastrointestinal tract. Large epidemiological studies indicate that up to 14% of tumours may be related to obesity. Pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning this association are not well understood and so are discussed in this review. © 2013, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.