New research carried out by scientists at the University of Chicago has established a clear link between the accumulation of fat in the abdomen, also known as omental fat, and the spread of ovarian cancer.
According to the researchers, omental fat provides nutrients that act as a launching pad for cancer. Research author Dr Ernst Lengyel explained:
“The cells that make up the omentum contain the biological equivalent of jet fuel. They feed the cancer cells, enabling them to multiply rapidly. Gaining a better understanding of this process could help us learn how to disrupt it.”
Ovarian cancer can rapidly convert the entire omentum into a solid mass of cancer cells, a process that may not be limited to ovarian cancer cells. Fat metabolism may also contribute to cancer development in other environments where fat cells are abundant, such as breast cancer.
Ovarian cancer can be difficult to treat because it is often only diagnosed once it has spread. By the time the disease is diagnosed in 80 per cent of women it has already spread to the omentum.
Dr Kat Arney, science information manager at Cancer Research UK said that although the study revealed important new information “there’s still a lot of work to be done to turn this knowledge into a treatment that could help women with ovarian cancer.”
The study was published in the online journal Nature Medicine.
I was aware that belly fat caused other serious health issues but ovarian cancer is new to me. I wonder if this is more common in women who have been pregnant or soon to be pregnant. I do advise the women to eat healthy and get physical activity before, during and after pregnancy to stay healthy and avoid these serious issues.