Adipose tissue could have an effect on most cancers improvement in a number of methods
"Obesity is increasing dramatically worldwide, and is now also recognized as one of the major risk factors for cancer, with 16 different types of cancer linked to obesity," Ulrich said. "We urgently need to identify the specific mechanisms that link obesity to cancer." Ulrich explained that previous research has shown several ways that fat contributes to carcinogenesis. For example, obesity increases the risk of inflammation, which has long been associated with cancer. Also, obesity is believed to affect cancer cell metabolism and immune clearance, all of which can contribute to the growth and spread of tumors, she said. The relationship between fat and carcinogenesis also depends upon "crosstalk," or the ways cells react when the same signal is shared by more than one signaling pathway in two different cell types, Ulrich explained. Identifying ways to interrupt the crosstalk could help researchers identify new cancer prevention strategies. How th...