Gastric ops could reduce cancer risk

WEIGHT-loss surgery may reduce the risk of some cancers.

An analysis published in the British Journal of surgery compared 8,794 obese patients who had a gastric bypass or other type of weight-loss procedure with obese patients who didn’t have surgery.

It found those who had surgery were 77 per cent less likely to develop hormone-related cancers, such as breast, endometrial and prostate. A gastric bypass was associated with the largest risk reduction — 84 per cent.

However, this operation was also linked with a two-fold increase in colorectal cancer.

Researchers at Imperial College london, who led the analysis, say more studies are needed to understand the reasons behind the results.