Can Obesity be Considered as Risk Factor to Ovarian Cancer? A Review

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecologic cancers and is an important source of cancer-related mortality, particularly in developed countries. Epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of ovarian cancer associated with body mass index obesity and overweight differs across different geographical distributions. Obesity and the possibility of ovarian cancer have been widely studied, but findings have yielded inconsistent results. The aim of this review study is to investigate the association of obesity, overweight and body mass index with ovarian cancer. The relevant search of databases was conducted, including Medline, Springer, NCBI, PubMed, Cancer organizations, WHO reports and Cancer statistics. Due to broad scope of the research questions a narrative review approach was undertaken. All studies that assessed the relation between obesity leading to ovarian cancer and obesity as risk factor for ovarian cancer were selected for review. The prevalence of obesity and overweight was found to be increasing worldwide. Obesity and overweight are believed to be related with psychological, and social problems along with other health problems. These conditions are needed to be monitored and controlled more effectively both in developed and underdeveloped countries. There is a lack of data on the relationship between obesity and ovarian cancer from low-income countries due to scarcity of resources and low awareness levels. As a result, further research is required to better understand the biological pathways underlying the connection between obesity and ovarian cancer.