Personalized Lifestyle Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Call to Action

Abstract

The increasing global burden of cancer necessitates innovative approaches to prevention and treatment. Lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity, and smoking significantly contribute to cancer. At the same time, current guidelines are based on a one-size-fits-all approach, which limits their effectiveness across diverse populations. Obesity is a well-documented risk factor for cancer, directly affecting 13 types of cancer. The complex interplay of genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and environmental factors in obesity's etiology highlights the need for more tailored approaches to obesity-related cancers. This perspective article advocates for a shift toward an integrative, personalized approach that considers a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with the etiology of obesity-related cancers. Lifestyle-based cancer prevention strategies should be tailored to an individual's biological profile, demographic background, behaviors, and environmental exposures. Following a diagnosis, a comprehensive treatment approach should consider how these genetic, physiological, lifestyle, and environmental factors interact in the onset and progression of the disease while also taking cancer type and stage into account. This approach paves the way for more precise and effective strategies in tackling cancer. Fulfilling collaboration across research, healthcare, and policy sectors is essential to achieve these goals.

Keywords: carcinogenesis; health behavior; health policy; lifestyle medicine; oncology; overweight; precision medicine; prevention; public health; tumorigenesis.

Figure 1

A conceptual model highlighting the complex and multifaceted interactions between key factors influencing cancer prevention and treatment. These factors are categorized into genetics, behavior, environment, demographics, and physiology. Genetic factors include germline mutations, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), epigenetics, familial syndromes, and gene–environment interactions. Physiological factors encompass hormonal imbalances, inflammation, the gut microbiome, and metabolic regulation. Demographic factors include age, sex, ethnicity/race, and socioeconomic status. Environmental factors involve exposure to toxins and pollutants, the built environment, and radiation. Behavioral factors include dietary habits, physical activity, substance use, sleep and stress, and overall life satisfaction.