The link between cancer and obesity has long been established and evidence suggests that obesity treatments – including surgery – can play an important role in reducing this risk.
However, we don’t yet fully understand the molecular changes and biological mechanisms which underpin these relationships.
Now our team at Salford Royal Hospital (part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust) is working with The University of Manchester, Imperial College London, and IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organization on new international research to shed light on some of these mechanisms. The aim is to identify new routes for future prevention and treatment.
The PROMINENT programme is part of the Cancer Grand Challenges and is funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Asociación Española contra el Cáncer.
The Salford team are involved in a work package examining obesity treatments and cancer risk, which is led nationally by Professor Marc Gunter and Dr Laure Dossus and in Manchester by Professor Emma Crosbie from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
Oesophago-Gastric and Bariatric Surgeon Mr Bilal Alkhaffaf is co-supervising PhD student Dr Holly Baker-Rand, who is delivering the local work for this project. Holly has already recruited her first three patients to the study who are scheduled to have bariatric surgery. They will give a series of samples (including blood, mouth swabs, and womb and breast tissue samples) before and 12 months after surgery.
Mr Alkhaffaf said: “Obesity is now one of the leading modifiable risk factors for cancer. This groundbreaking multi-million pound study highlights the importance of collaboration and strong working relationships in our pursuit of reducing cancer risk and improving outcomes for our patients.”