The term cancer is referred to as the assortment of diseases linked to abnormal cells' uncontrolled separation.These abnormal cells have the tendency to attack the neighboring cells and rapidly spread in the blood or lymph system. As we commonly know that breast cancer is mostly found in females and lung or throat cancers diagnosed among males, many individuals are still unaware of breast cancer in men.
MBC (Male breast cancer) is a rare disease that is found in less than 1% of men. The rate of breast cancer among men is increasing rapidly, and it was expected that in 2020, around 2500 men would be diagnosed with breast cancer. There can be various factors that lead to the development of this disease among men. The most significant factor among them is obesity or overweight that very few people are aware of.
Obesity and Breast Cancer: Provocative Parallels?
According to the data recorded by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), "Less than 50% of Americans were unaware that the obese people are at higher risk of developing breast cancer". The greater is your weight; you are at higher risk of developing cancer. Both cancer and obesity are linked with each other.
The World Cancer Research Fund reports and The International Agency for Research on Cancer have indicated that obesity is the common reason for developing esophageal, renal, prostate, colorectal, postmenopausal, and breast.
The rate of male breast cancer is increasing in developed countries due to the rapid increase in male obesity, as shown in the graph below:
A parallel trend has been observed in increasing obesity and MBC. The main reason are the changes in estrogen levels, which could lead to developing an environment for cancer initiation in the tissues of male breasts.
Other researchers conclude that obesity can be a cause of variation in the profile of numerous key cytokines and adipokines. The variation in these cells' levels will lead to the development of tumors and breast cancer, although their participation also makes them a striking healing target.
How Exactly obesity causes cancer in males?
The fat in the human body has a secondary function of sending out a biological stream of instructions and information that deters the human body's other function. The single that the fat produces have a negative side when it leads to cancer. The leading theories given below demonstrate how obesity and excessive fat can become a cause of cancer.
· Inflammation
As men's weight increases and they become obese, it results in creating more fat cells in the tissues. For clearing the dead and the dying cells, macrophages, i.e., the immune cells, are called to the rescue. These macrophages also release potential chemicals that call other cells for the cleanup job.
An obese person has a considerable amount of macrophages, which ultimately develops the condition known as chronic inflammation. This is one of the ways that fuel the development of cancerous cells. It is seen that people, especially males, who are obese, tend to have greater levels of inflammatory cytokines present in their blood. Inflammation sends strong signals to the cell that causes their division, which increases the chances of cancer.
· Metabolic chaos
Numerous chemical processes are constantly going on in the human body. This is called metabolism, and it is significantly controlled and convoluted based on the flow of signals among organs and cells.
When a person has fat cells within their body, then this obesity can be a huge cause of unbalancing the flow of signal, and this is another way that causes the development of cancerous cells in males.
The greater amount of body fat increases the levels of fatty acids, increasing cells' resistance to counteract the impact of insulin and properly consume the glucose.
· Oestrogen link
Another major link between cancer and obesity is the higher risk of developing breast cancer in men. For people who are overweight, their estrogen and other hormone levels constantly vary. The higher level of estrogen increases the risk of developing breast cancer in men. The study results found that men with a greater level of one of the hormones oestrogen were more likely to develop this disease.
The excessive fat in men will have a direct link to the oestrogen levels. Also, obese men are also at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer, but it is still unclear that whether it is due to the fat cells or the main role is played by the male sex hormones, i.e., testosterone present in them.
It is important that men should learn about prostate and breast health and choosing a diet that has lower fat levels. One of the researchers from write my dissertation team carried out a research and found that "The large studies of male proposed that there is a link between obesity and high estrogen levels that is the key cause of developing breast or other cancers in them".
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Both the greater body weight and being obese as an adult are linked to developing cancer not only in women but also in men. Cancer and obesity follow parallel trends due to the presence of fat cells that unbalances the body function and hormone levels.
According to the American cancer society, it is important to maintain a healthy weight and sustain your BMI (Body mass index) to avoid the chances of developing breast cancer. If you are obese, then you must shift towards consuming less fat and eat healthy food. Additionally, you need to increase your level of activity and eat according to your needs.
Follow a healthy diet that includes low sugar cereal, low-fat foods, fruit, and vegetables. Maintain your BMI isn't easy when you are overweight, but essential to avoid the development of cancer cells. Dieting and other prevailing foods for losing weight might not be beneficial in the long run; therefore, it is recommended for men to make small changes in the food habits and increase physical activity to stay healthy throughout their life.
Final Thoughts
There is no shadow of a doubt that obesity has a direct association with cancer, but extricating the main biological reasons for its development is quite complicated. A lot of human functions are affected by obesity, such as hormone levels, inflammation, or growth signals. It also affects every person differently. It is not necessary that a person who is obese will only develop breast cancer, but these two factors are vitally knit together to form a lethal fabric.
Thus, variation in oestrogen levels and insulin will directly lead to breast cancer. The best strategy to avoid the increasing number of MBC in males is early detection and staying at a healthy weight because the men diagnosed with breast cancer have low survival rates.
Author Bio
Liza Brooke has been curating technology and health-related blogs. She contributes her services
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