Weight loss surgery may decrease hormone-related cancer risk, study says

July 16 (UPI) -- Weight loss surgery may decrease a person's risk of developing hormone-related cancers, increase the chance of colon cancer, according to study in England.

Researchers examined data from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England between 1997 and 2012. The findings were published Friday in the British Journal of Surgery.

Researchers analyzed medical records for 8,794 obese patients who underwent gastric bypass, gastric banding or sleeve gastrectomy, comparing them with an equal number of obese individuals who did not have surgery.

People who had a weight loss surgery had a 77 percent decreased risk of developing hormone-related cancer -- breast, endometrial or prostate cancer -- compared with patients that did not have the surgery.

Gastric bypass had the largest risk reduction -- 84 percent -- for hormone-related cancer, but the procedure was also linked to a greater than twofold increased risk of colorectal cancer. Gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy was not associated with the increased risk.

The researchers said additional research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms of these findings.