Obesity may raise risk of kidney cancer

Monday Jan 25, 2010 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study published in the January 2010 issue of the journal BJUI suggests that obesity increases the risk of developing one type of kidney cancer.

The study found obese patients were 48 percent more likely to acquire a clear-cell renal cell cancer (RCC) than those who were not obese. Obesity was defined as having a body mass index of less than 30 kg/m2.

Additionally, Dr. William T. Lowrance, coauthor of the study, of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and colleagues found each extra BMI point was associated with a 4 percent increase in the risk for developing RCC.

The study involved 1,640 patients with kidney cancer at an average age of 62 years.

Lowrance said studies have suggested that obesity could be a risk factor for RCC, but its effect might be secondary to hormonal changes, decreased immune function and hypertension or diabetes.

The study merely found an association between obesity and kidney cancer, cautioned a health observer who does not want to be named.  It does not necessarily mean obesity is a risk factor that indeed raises the risk of kidney cancer even though there is such a possibility.

Kidney cancer, including renal cell carcinoma and renal pelvis carcinoma,  is diagnosed in 49,000 people each year in the United States and the disease kills 11,000 annually in the country.

Reporting by David Liu and editing by Sheilah Downey