What is currently known about the association between bariatric surgery and cancer

Abstract

Background: Obesity increases the risk of multiple cancers.

Objective: The purpose of this manuscript is to review the high-quality studies that have provided the most compelling evidence around the association between bariatric surgery and cancer risk.

Setting: Literature review.

Methods: The literature was reviewed for large high quality observational studies with well matched controls. Identified studies were summarized in this review.

Results: Four large cohort studies were identified and summarized including the Swedish Obese Subjects study, the Utah cohorts, the Kaiser Permanente studies and the SPLENDID study. All four cohorts demonstrated a strong association between bariatric surgery and a reduction in cancer risk. Two of the cohorts showed a reduction in cancer related mortality, and two of the cohorts found a dose-response between amount of weight loss following bariatric surgery and cancer risk.

Conclusions: The evidence that bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced risk of cancer is compelling.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Cancer risk; Epidemiology.