The treatment for obesity has already known to reduce heart disease and diabetes but researchers have now found that incidence of two of the most common tumors, breast and colon, were reduced by 85 percent and 70 percent respectively.
Researchers from the McGill University in Toronto believe that when you lose weight, the hormone levels of estrogen also drops thus resulting in the breast cancer reduction in women. It is now common practice for surgery candidates to undergo mammograms, colonoscopies and endoscopies to screen for cancer before the weight loss surgery.
The study lasted five years and doctors now believe that the findings may further give a reason to enough to insurance companies to cover weight loss surgery. Doctors also added that though losing weight will reduce the incidence of cancer, but it will take longer than five years for the effects to surface, Los Angeles Times reports.
According to the bariatric surgery society, an estimated 205,000 Americans had gastric surgery last year, up from 23,100 in 1997. The number is expected to rise by 5 percent this year.
