Obesity Makes Cancer Patients More Difficult to Cure

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Medical Video: The Connection Between Obesity and Uterine Cancer

Cancer is a disease that is feared by society, because it is one of the main causes of high mortality in the world. Every year there are 14 million new cancer cases, and cancer also causes 8.2 million people to die in the world. The increase in the number of cancer cases has reached up to 70% in the past two decades.

In the past, most people thought that cancer could not be cured, but it turns out that along with developments in the medical world, there are now many who can recover from cancer. One treatment that must be done by cancer patients is chemotherapy, which is one of the effective treatments for cancer. However, the statement appears that in obese patients it turns out that giving cancer treatment such as chemotherapy is not very effective due to the amount of excess fat in the body, is that true?

Chemotherapy, a cancer drug that is considered effective against cancer cells

Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer that is given in various ways and causes different side effects for each person. Chemotherapy is given to cancer patients to stop growth and destroy cancer cells by giving chemical drugs. This treatment is intended to stop cancer cells, but because the drugs used for chemotherapy through all the tissues in the body, it also has an impact on normal cell health. Normal cells can also be damaged and this can cause various side effects.

Giving chemotherapy doses should not be wrong, because the drugs used in chemotherapy are included in hard drugs. Not infrequently the side effects that arise due to chemotherapy are quite dangerous, can even cause death if not in accordance with the dose. Chemotherapy is usually done by administering drugs through blood vessels to reach the position of cancer cells and prevent the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body. This treatment is usually given according to the dose measured based on the ideal body weight of the patient, not the actual weight or weight at that time.

This is also done in cancer patients who are also obese, the calculation of the dosage is not calculated based on his current weight for fear of overdosing and will cause side effects that are harmful to health. But this is a dilemma because the calculation of dosage according to the ideal body weight in obese people is not very effective in stopping cancer growth.

Cancer drugs become less effective for cancer patients who are obese

A study conducted by The American Society of Clinical Oncology summarizes all research conducted from 1990 to 2010 that examined cancer treatment in obese people. These studies were conducted on patients who experienced various types of cancer, namely ovarian cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer. From the various results of these studies it is known that as many as 40% of obese cancer patients receive chemotherapy treatment that does not match their actual body weight, so they do not get effective treatment.

Other studies that examine the interactions of drugs and body tissues are indeed still very limited, but there are several studies that state that drug interactions in patients who are obese tend to decrease compared to patients who are not obese. This is evidenced by research conducted on breast cancer patients. In the study respondents were divided into two groups, namely the group that had a normal body mass index of less than 25 kg / m2 and the second group had a body mass index of more than 30 kg / m2. Then the two groups were given the same chemotherapy drugs as, doxorubicin, cisplatin, paclitaxel, and carboplatin. The results of this study indicate that the effectiveness of cisplatin and paclitaxel drug administration is lower in groups that have a body mass index of more than 30 kg / m2. Of course this can affect the success of overall cancer treatment.

Fat in obese patients inhibits the work of cancer drugs in the body

The effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs also depends on the fat content in the cell. When in the cell the amount of fat is too much then the drug will not work effectively and requires a larger dose to work properly. The liver is an organ that functions to filter out poisons that are in the body. When chemotherapy drugs enter to spread in the body through the bloodstream, the liver will be prepared to filter out various poisons from the incoming drug. But in patients who are obese, excess fat accumulates in the liver which then disrupts the liver's function to filter out toxins.

Then, what should be done if cancer patients are also obese?

From various studies described earlier, it can be concluded that obesity experienced by cancer patients can affect the success of cancer treatment carried out. Not only that, some studies have also found that obese cancer patients are at higher risk of experiencing more severe side effects that can even cause death than people who have normal nutritional status.

In general, patients who are undergoing cancer treatment must be supported by good nutrition. However, in patients who have excess nutritional status, it must also be planned to normalize their nutritional status and body weight so that the treatment runs more easily and effectively.

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Obesity Makes Cancer Patients More Difficult to Cure
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