Female Cancer Survivorship and Obesity

Obesity is a well-documented problem in the United States, with no state meeting the Healthy People 2010 objective to reduce obesity prevalence among adults. Two-thirds of the U.S. population is overweight and one-third is obese. Overweight and obesity are known risk factors for diabetes, coronary heart disease, and premature death. In addition, obesity is the greatest risk factor for gynecological cancers and breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, almost a third of women in the United States will develop cancer. The majority of these women will survive their cancer diagnosis yet face the uphill battle of maintaining their health as well as reducing their risk of cancer recurrence. As the prevalence of obesity dramatically increases, its relation to cancer incidence, postoperative outcome, and cancer-specific survival becomes an important field of research.