A hormone called leptin produced by fat cells is associated with an increased risk of progressive colon cancer, a study appearing in the British Journal of Surgery has found.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego said the hormone triggers rapid growth of the colon cancer cells. The increased amount of fat cells in an obese person means increased amount of leptin as well. Obese people are at three times greater risk of developing colon cancer than normal weight people.
The researchers observed the effect of the hormone on three cell lines and found that it increased growth in all of them. In two of the three cell lines, the normal physiological death of the cell was hampered meaning that the cells grew very rapidly in an uncontrolled fashion.
"These results may explain why obesity increases a person's risk of colonic cancer," said lead researcher Dr Kim Barrett. "The fact we have shown how leptin stimulates these cells means that drug companies may be in a better position to develop new treatments against the disease."
