Obesity and type 2 diabetes are independent and joint risk factors for the development of multiple types of cancer, with obesity being the second strongest modifiable risk factor after smoking.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (hereafter referred to as diabetes) are both chronic, relapsing, progressive diseases... Obesity is a strong risk factor for the development of diabetes; consequently, half of people diagnosed with diabetes have obesity... Multiple racial and ethnic subgroups experience a disproportionate burden of obesity and diabetes in the US... Obesity and diabetes have long been recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In 2002, the International Agency for Research on Cancer reported that obesity was linked with the development of five different cancers... In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Cancer Research Fund reported that obesity was now convincingly linked with the development of 13 different cancers... Furthermore, diabetes has been recognized as a risk factor for the development of multiple malignancies... independent of obesity... After cigarette smoking, obesity is the second strongest modifiable risk factor for cancer.