Background & scientific rational: Excess body fatness is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK after smoking and is associated with an increased cancer risk in at least 13 different cancer types including breast, liver & colorectal. Most research that has been used to establish this relationship has been carried out using simple measurements such as height, weight and waist circumference due to the ease in which they can be measured.
However, the information we can gather from these recordings is limited as they do not consider exactly where and how the fat is distributed within the body. To get a better understanding of how the fat distribution results into the development of cancer, we now need to use methods such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to retrieve more detailed recordings and dig deeper to investigate the specific roles of fat deposits within the body.
Visceral fat, or the fat deep within the body that surrounds organs such as the stomach and intestines, is believed to be the most important measurement of fat when determining cancer risk. However, new evidence suggests that fat around the liver could in fact be more important and is what should be measured when determining risk.
Aims: 100,000 participants from the UK Biobank were invited back for an MRI scan, with the images from these scans analysed to work out the visceral and liver fat levels for each participant. We will also be able to calculate the level of insulin resistance for these participants, which is a measurement known to lead to type 2 diabetes and is linked to increased cancer risk. This data will then allow us to work out whether visceral fat or liver fat has the strongest link with insulin resistance and ultimately the development of certain cancer types.
Project duration: 36-48 months
Public Health Impact: This will be the first study on a large scale of up to 100,000 participants, with the only previously published study investigating this relationship recruiting just 20 participants. This will help us understand exactly how fat distributed within the body effects insulin resistance and the development of cancerous cells. This information could then be used to help predict who is at greatest risk of developing cancer and contribute to national cancer prevention strategies.
These findings will be particularly important for areas of deprivation within the UK, where obesity levels are well above the national average.