WLS and Incidence of Cancer

[peglynmc 15]

I know that this is an odd question. Are there any studies that show an increase in various cancers later in for people that have had bariatric surgery?

[James Marusek 5,244]

I don't remember seeing any but the exact opposite may be true. Many cancers feed off sugar. If you reduce the sugar level in your diet, such as those that undergo WLS, it should reduce the spread of cancer.

[reree6898 1,164]

I have not heard of any but I would think that after WLS the risk of cancer lessens since obesity is a risk factor in various cancers.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

My oldest sister had a gastric bypass in 1995 (21 years ago) add has not gotten any kind of cancer.....rather it cured her of several maladies typical to obesity. Bypasses have been around since the 1950's where the first one was performed at the University of Minnesota.

[goblue9280 481]

I have not heard of any but I would think that after WLS the risk of cancer lessens since obesity is a risk factor in various cancers.

+1.

Even if there were a slight uptick in cancer risk with bariatric surgery, it would be outweighed for me by the decrease in risk of dying at a young age from heart disease as a morbidly obese person.

[peglynmc 15]

That makes I was just wondering. I'm just waiting on my surgery date as soon as there is an opening in the schedule. Now I have all these thoughts going thru my mind.

[catwoman7 10,908]

Never heard that. I would think since gastric bypass has been around for a long time, they'd know that.....

[gowalking 10,790]

Google it. If there's a correlation, you should see something(s) come up. Presuming anyone has done this type of study.

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,899]

Great question, but I never read any studies.

I'll take a chance of developing cancer in my old age by living a longer & healthier life (post WLS) than dying of an obesity related comorbidity at an earlier age.

[UalreadyKnow 843]

I've often wondered the same thing, I know of 3 different ladies having had either sleeve or bypass, that have cancer. Skin,breast, and ovarian???

[peglynmc 15]

Thank you

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I have not seen any studies and I would be cautious of relying on anecdotal stories. My mom had skin cancer, my younger sister died of breast cancer and a grandmother had ovarian cancer - not a one of them had WLS.

The longer I am at goal, the more I realize that the main benefit for me isn't extending my lifespan but actually creating a better quality of life while I am here. I was talking to a skinny mini girlfriend of mine that is the same age. Her mother is fading fast from dementia, and of course you imagine your own future.. right? She said she isn't really scared of dying anymore... she, like me, is more scared of "not living fully". In her case it isn't obesity, but she is making other life changes so that she can live a fuller more well rounded life.

[UalreadyKnow 843]

I'm sorry for the loss in your family @@CowgirlJane cancer is becoming easier to detect and may be why we are seeing so many cases come up, and sure it may be coincidence with my personal friends,but I was simply agreeing with OP that it has indeed crossed my mind.

[catwoman7 10,908]

I would think if it increased one's risk for cancer, it'd be somewhere in the GI tract as opposed to say, skin cancer. But then what do I know. And again, I've never seen any studies on this.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

@@UalreadyKnow I didn't intend to be strident, just making the point that we are biased by our own experiences. Truly, need to check research over larger populations.

The thing I was curious about pre op "do obese people live longer having WLS or not?" I never found that study.

Time has made that question somewhat irrelevant because I find life at full tilt so much more exciting, fun and worth living...quality is better, quantity would be a bonus!