Obesity, Organ Size, and Cancer Risk: The Science You Need to Know

In this interview with Pharmacy Times, Cristian Tomasetti, PhD, discusses how obesity affects cancer risk differently across organs, with strong evidence linking increased risk to the pancreas, liver, and kidneys. This highlights a key mechanism: Weight gain can enlarge these organs, increasing the number of cells and the likelihood of cancer-causing mutations. The discussion also introduces early findings suggesting that weight loss, including through glucagon-like peptide-1 therapies, may reverse organ enlargement and potentially lower cancer risk.