Bariatric Surgery - Can It Subdue Danger Of Cancer?

Obesity can make life miserable. From unhealthy eating habits to unhealthy lifestyles and medical conditions, obesity can be an amalgamation of many factors. Obese people are at a greater risk of suffering from many serious health complications like type-2 diabetes, mood swings, and depression, cardiac problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, to name a few. It does not stop there. More alarming is the fact that obese people are at an increased risk of suffering from different types of cancer.

Bariatric surgery comes as a saviour for highly obese people (with a BMI over 40), who have tried every possible treatment under the sun to lose weight without any success. Bariatric surgery has helped many severely obese people attain a healthy weight. Bariatric surgery can be of three types;

1. Gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y): This is a common types of weight-loss surgery practiced worldwide for over 50 years. The procedure involves dividing the stomach into a smaller upper pouch and a larger lower part. The smaller pouch is then connected to the small intestine. The food consumed will pass into the small intestine through the pouch. The idea is to rearrange the stomach in such a way that a person consumes lesser quantity of food.
2. Sleeve Gastrectomy: In Sleeve Gastrectomy, surgeons remove a large portion of the stomach, leaving behind only a small sleeve-like pouch (hence the name). Like the other surgeries, sleeve gastrectomy also aids in limiting the consumption of food.
3. Duodenal switch: Duodenal switch with bilio-pancreatic diversion, is not very commonly used esp in Indian patients due to dietary preferences.  

Bariatric surgery has several health benefits. In addition to the weight loss, it plays a pivotal role in lowering the incidences of type-2 Diabetes, depression, anxiety, coronary artery problems, sleep apnea,  poly cystic ovarian disease etc.

Research also suggest that bariatric surgery is instrumental in reducing the chances of cancer (especially colon and breast cancer) by as much as 60%. Some researchers and oncologists believe that the weight loss (bariatric surgery) brings about a hormonal modification which prevents the growth of tumour cells. Another study links obesity with increased inflammation, which is believed to act as a catalyst accelerating the growth of cancer cells. However, research is still going on to understand this correlation (obesity and reduced cancer rates) better.