Research
Hormonal
Obesity-associated hyperleptinemia promotes cancer progression through JAK2/STAT3, ERK, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, enhancing cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and anti-apoptosis.
For individuals with obesity, high levels of the hormone leptin can directly fuel cancer growth by stimulating cell division and survival. Managing body weight may help reduce these hormonal drivers, potentially lowering cancer risk and improving outcomes, especially for hormone-sensitive cancers.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Overall research suggests most adipokines promote cancer cell progression via enhancement of cell proliferation and migration, inflammation and anti-apoptosis pathways, which subsequently can prompt cancer metastasis.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple in vitro, animal, and epidemiological studies cited in the review.
Source
Adipose tissue, obesity and adipokines: role in cancer promotion
Andrea Booth et al. · Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation · 2015
DOI 10.1515/hmbci-2014-0037
narrative_reviewCited 325×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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