Overweight or
obesity is currently a common health problem in westernized societies globally.
Obesity is linked with a sizeable number of disease aetiologies, notably type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and certain
cancers, perhaps through some common mechanisms that favor persistent low-grade
inflammation. Both epidemiological and laboratory studies have demonstrated that the pathogenesis of certain
cancers and the related prognosis are influenced by
obesity. Clinically, a complex situation is present in
obesity, which usually shows higher blood levels of various biomolecules, e.g.,
lipids like
triglycerides,
hormones like
insulin, and fat cell-secreted
adipokines like
leptin. On the contrary,
obesity is associated with lower concentrations of substances like
sex hormone-binding globulin and
adiponectin. Many of these biochemical compounds are used routinely for clinical diagnosis and assessment during the follow-up period. Nonetheless, approximately one-fifth of the total
cancer burden is associated with
obesity. Excess adipose tissue and different hormonal substances possibly play a significant role in this complex
obesity-related
carcinogenesis. A precise understanding of the pertinent
pathological processes is definitely useful in early diagnosis, clinical management, and designing of novel pharmaceutical agents.