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Medscape
12-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Colorectal Cancer Linked With Adverse Sexual Health Outcomes
As new colorectal cancer (CRC) cases and related mortality continued to decline among Canadians older than 50 years, a new finding emerged: An increased risk for sexual health conditions in women with CRC, especially those with early-onset CRC (diagnosed in women younger than 50 years). These patients have as much as a 90% higher risk for dyspareunia compared with cancer-free peers. Other striking findings of the recently published study included elevated risks for premature ovarian failure, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and endometriosis among women with CRC. Study co-author Mary De Vera, PhD, a pharmacoepidemiologist and assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of British Columbia (BC) in Vancouver, was diagnosed with early-onset CRC at age 36 years. 'The motivation for me to look at sexual and reproductive health outcomes stemmed from my own lived experience,' she told Medscape Medical News. Mary De Vera, PhD The study was published online on June 1 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute . Sexual Health Challenges The researchers conducted a population-based cohort study to evaluate the impact of CRC on the following six outcomes: Dyspareunia, abnormal bleeding outside pregnancy, PID, endometriosis, premature ovarian failure (ie, early menopause in women younger than 40 years), and at least one hormone replacement therapy prescription. Eligible participants were identified in BC administrative health data (which contains linked healthcare visits and the BC Cancer Registry) and included patients assigned female at birth who were diagnosed with CRC between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 2017 (n = 25,402). These participants were matched by age and sex 1:10 to cancer-free controls (n = 254,020). The participants were further stratified by age (≤ 39 years, ≥ 40 years), and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore the association between sociodemographic and cancer-related factors (eg, cancer site or treatment type) on sexual health outcomes. The most common cancer sites were the left colon (39.8%) and rectum (28.8%), and the most frequent treatments were surgery (42.9%) and chemotherapy (35.5%). Overall, participants with CRC had more healthcare encounters in the previous year than matched control individuals did (15.1 vs 10.9; P < .0001). Women with CRC had a 67% higher risk for dyspareunia compared with women without cancer. 'When we further stratified them by age, the risk actually rose to 90% in females diagnosed before age 40,' said De Vera. Treatment-related effects were common. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated an increased dyspareunia risk with surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23), chemotherapy (HR, 1.25), and radiation (HR, 1.24). Women receiving chemotherapy had an increased risk for abnormal bleeding (HR, 1.24). CRC was associated with increased PID risk (HR, 3.42). Cancer site and treatment were independently associated with increased risk. For example, the risk for PID increased by 80% in participants diagnosed with CRC in the left colon and by 121% for rectal CRC. Radiation treatment was associated with a 56% increased risk. Additional notable findings included a 95% higher risk for endometriosis across all ages, with an 80% increase noted in women who had received surgery. Risk for premature ovarian failure appeared to increase more significantly in younger women with CRC than in those without (HR, 1.75). Chemotherapy was associated with a 164% higher risk. Causation Unclear De Vera pointed to a surprising but important finding related to the timing of diagnosis. 'We were finding that a lot of sexual health issues were diagnosed in the 3-4 years after the original cancer diagnosis, which showed me that a lot of these issues were surfacing during the survivorship stage,' she said. However, the study is not without limitations. Though findings suggested that there is an effect of cancer itself and that many of the conditions were being driven by cancer treatments, these effects have not been clearly delineated or defined. De Vera also said that the increase in health encounters amongst women with CRC suggested that certain drivers (eg, pain during or after sex) might not have been captured in the medical records. Jaclyn Madar, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at McGill University and clinician at Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, told Medscape Medical News that although pain disorders like endometriosis or dyspareunia can affect pleasure during intercourse, it's important to note that not all patients face the same situation. Jaclyn Madar, MD 'When you have a woman with sexual pain, you really have to look into what the cause of it might be, regardless of age,' said Madar, who was not involved in the study. 'What's front of mind for a lot of these women is to treat the cancer, and then afterward deal with the aftermath,' she said. 'It doesn't seem to me that it is integrated into the care, and I believe that it's important to warn that when they go through certain types of chemo, for example, they'll probably enter early menopause or have menopause symptoms.' Madar noted that the prevalence of many of these conditions is difficult to estimate, namely because patients don't always volunteer the information, and diagnosis is often delayed. For CRC in particular, radiation can have significant effects on vaginal tissues and cause vaginal stenosis, while surgical treatments have a domino effect: Post-op pain near the rectum can lead to pelvic floor muscle spasms and subsequent dyspareunia. 'The findings will lead to greater awareness and better communication,' said De Vera hopefully. The study was funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. De Vera and Madar reported having no relevant financial relationships.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Men face higher cancer risk with this specific body fat measurement
Obesity has long been established as a risk factor for cancer, particularly when it's stored in certain areas of the body. Now, new research suggests that a larger waist circumference is a bigger risk factor than body mass index (BMI) for obesity-related cancers — but only for men, not for women. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, will be presented in May at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain. Bmi Is Wrong Way To Measure Obesity, Researchers Say The study was led by Dr. Ming Sun, Dr. Josef Fritz and Dr. Tanja Stocks from Lund University in Sweden. The researchers analyzed data from 340,000 Swedish people averaging 51 years of age whose BMI and waist circumference assessments were performed between 1981 and 2019, according to a press release. Read On The Fox News App They then compared those statistics to cancer diagnoses pulled from the Swedish Cancer Register. Over a period of 14 years, there were 18,185 diagnoses of obesity-related cancers among the patients in the study. 'Hidden' Fat Could Predict Alzheimer's Disease Up To 20 Years Before Symptoms, Research Finds For men, an increase in waist circumference of around 11 cm resulted in a 25% higher risk of obesity-related cancer. This was a bigger risk factor than having an increased BMI, which increased the chances by 19%. For women, an increase of about 12 cm in waist circumference and an increase in BMI were both linked to a 13% greater cancer risk, the study found. Obesity-related cancers include cancers of the esophagus (adenocarcinoma), gastric (cardia), colon, rectum, liver/intrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, ovary, renal cell carcinoma, meningioma, thyroid and multiple myeloma, the release stated. Overall, the researchers found waist circumference to be a more accurate cancer predictor than BMI. "BMI is a measure of body size, but does not provide information on fat distribution, whereas waist circumference is a proxy more closely related to abdominal adiposity," they wrote. "This distinction is crucial because visceral fat, which accumulates around the abdominal organs, is more metabolically active and has been implicated in adverse health outcomes, including insulin resistance, inflammation and abnormal blood fat levels. Consequently, individuals with similar BMIs may have distinct cancer risks due to differences in fat distribution." One potential reason for the gender discrepancy, according to the researchers, is that men are more likely to store fat viscerally (in the belly), while women generally accumulate more subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and peripheral fat (in the arms and legs). Alzheimer's And Parkinson's Risk Is Higher For People With Body Fat In Two Specific Areas "Consequently, waist circumference is a more accurate measure of visceral fat in men than in women," the researchers wrote. "This may make waist circumference a stronger risk factor [for] cancer in men, and explain why waist circumference adds risk information beyond that conveyed by BMI in men, but not women." Excess body fat is also linked to higher insulin levels in men than in women, the researchers noted, which could be a factor in waist circumference being more strongly linked to men's cancer risk. "The divergence in how waist circumference and BMI relate to cancer risk between men and women underscores the complexity of the impact of adiposity (excess body fat) on cancer development," the researchers wrote. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "It suggests that considering biological and physiological differences between the sexes might be helpful when assessing cancer risk. Further research is needed to explore these sex differences." They also suggested that combining hip circumference with waist circumference in women could give a more accurate estimation of visceral fat. Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News' senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study, but reinforced that BMI is a "good indicator of obesity, but is not the only one." "Obesity leads to inflammation, and inflammation correlates with many kinds of cancer, including breast and prostate and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract," he told Fox News Digital. "It is not surprising that waist circumference in men could be a more precise indicator if measured properly, because belly fat contains a lot of the inflammatory chemicals that act as carcinogens," the doctor noted. For women, where fat distribution is somewhat different, Siegel agrees that it "makes sense" to consider both waist and hip circumference, as the Swedish study suggests. "The study looks at over 300,000 people and is an important new reference, but it is observational, so it shows an association, but not proof," the doctor added. Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, also detailed the different ways in which men and women store fat. "While women accumulate more subcutaneous fat — on the hips, thighs and buttocks — men pack it around the waist, deep inside the abdomen," Osborn, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "This is visceral fat, and it's metabolically toxic. It's not just sitting there. It's active, like a gland, secreting inflammatory chemicals (cytokines), raising insulin levels, disrupting hormones and laying the groundwork for cancer cell growth." Osborn reiterated that BMI is limited in its ability to accurately measure excess fat. "First, BMI doesn't factor in muscle mass, so a short, stocky individual with a low body fat percentage may be categorized as overweight or obese, when in fact quite the opposite is true," he said. "Second, BMI doesn't tell you where the body fat is, and as it turns out, that's what's critical — at least in men." To reduce cancer risk, Osborn recommends that men measure their waistlines to ensure they're in a healthy range. People can also track their visceral fat score on a medical-grade anthropometry scale, he said. "Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) is a red flag," he told Fox News Digital. Strength training three times per week is ideal, the doctor advised. "Resistance training reduces visceral fat and inflammation," he said. For more Health articles, visit Proper nutrition is also important, he said. "Eat like your life depends on it — because it does. Stop feeding your cancer risk." "Understand that belly fat isn't just cosmetic — it's carcinogenic," said Osborn. "You may not feel it now, but the clock is ticking. Visceral fat is silent, aggressive and deadly — and it's doing damage even if your BMI is 'normal.'"Original article source: Men face higher cancer risk with this specific body fat measurement
Fox News
25-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Men face higher cancer risk with this specific body fat measurement
Obesity has long been established as a risk factor for cancer, particularly when it's stored in certain areas of the body. Now, new research suggests that a larger waist circumference is a bigger risk factor than body mass index (BMI) for obesity-related cancers — but only for men, not for women. The findings, which were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, will be presented in May at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain. The study was led by Dr. Ming Sun, Dr. Josef Fritz and Dr. Tanja Stocks from Lund University in Sweden. The researchers analyzed data from 340,000 Swedish people averaging 51 years of age whose BMI and waist circumference assessments were performed between 1981 and 2019, according to a press release. They then compared those statistics to cancer diagnoses pulled from the Swedish Cancer Register. Over a period of 14 years, there were 18,185 diagnoses of obesity-related cancers among the patients in the study. For men, an increase in waist circumference of around 11 cm resulted in a 25% higher risk of obesity-related cancer. This was a bigger risk factor than having an increased BMI, which increased the chances by 19%. For women, an increase of about 12 cm in waist circumference and an increase in BMI were both linked to a 13% greater cancer risk, the study found. Obesity-related cancers include cancers of the oesophagus (adenocarcinoma), gastric (cardia), colon, rectum, liver/intrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, ovary, renal cell carcinoma, meningioma, thyroid and multiple myeloma, the release stated. "BMI is a measure of body size, but does not provide information on fat distribution, whereas waist circumference is a proxy more closely related to abdominal adiposity." Overall, the researchers found waist circumference to be a more accurate cancer predictor than BMI. "BMI is a measure of body size, but does not provide information on fat distribution, whereas waist circumference is a proxy more closely related to abdominal adiposity," they wrote. "This distinction is crucial because visceral fat, which accumulates around the abdominal organs, is more metabolically active and has been implicated in adverse health outcomes, including insulin resistance, inflammation and abnormal blood fat levels. Consequently, individuals with similar BMIs may have distinct cancer risks due to differences in fat distribution." One potential reason for the gender discrepancy, according to the researchers, is that men are more likely to store fat viscerally (in the belly), while women generally accumulate more subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and peripheral fat (in the arms and legs). "Consequently, waist circumference is a more accurate measure of visceral fat in men than in women," the researchers wrote. "This may make waist circumference a stronger risk factor of cancer in men, and explain why waist circumference adds risk information beyond that conveyed by BMI in men, but not women." Excess body fat is also linked to higher insulin levels in men than in women, the researchers noted, which could be a factor in waist circumference being more strongly linked to men's cancer risk. "The divergence in how waist circumference and BMI relate to cancer risk between men and women underscores the complexity of the impact of adiposity (excess body fat) on cancer development," the researchers wrote. "It suggests that considering biological and physiological differences between the sexes might be helpful when assessing cancer risk. Further research is needed to explore these sex differences." They also suggested that combining hip circumference with waist circumference in women could give a more accurate estimation of visceral fat. Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study, but reinforced that BMI is a "good indicator of obesity, but is not the only one." "Belly fat contains a lot of the inflammatory chemicals that act as carcinogens." "Obesity leads to inflammation, and inflammation correlates with many kinds of cancer, including breast and prostate and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract," he told Fox News Digital. "It is not surprising that waist circumference in men could be a more precise indicator if measured properly, because belly fat contains a lot of the inflammatory chemicals that act as carcinogens," the doctor noted. For women, where fat distribution is somewhat different, Siegel agrees that it "makes sense" to consider both waist and hip circumference, as the Swedish study suggests. "The study looks at over 300,000 people and is an important new reference, but it is observational, so it shows an association, but not proof," the doctor added. Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, also detailed the different ways in which men and women store fat. "While women accumulate more subcutaneous fat — on the hips, thighs and buttocks — men pack it around the waist, deep inside the abdomen," Osborn, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "This is visceral fat, and it's metabolically toxic. It's not just sitting there. It's active, like a gland, secreting inflammatory chemicals (cytokines), raising insulin levels, disrupting hormones and laying the groundwork for cancer cell growth." Osborn reiterated that BMI is limited in its ability to accurately measure excess fat. "First, BMI doesn't factor in muscle mass, so a short, stocky individual with a low body fat percentage may be categorized as overweight or obese, when in fact quite the opposite is true," he said. "Second, BMI doesn't tell you where the body fat is, and as it turns out, that's what's critical — at least in men." To reduce cancer risk, Osborn recommends that men measure their waistlines to ensure they're in a healthy range. People can also track their visceral fat score on a medical-grade anthropometry scale, he said. "Understand that belly fat isn't just cosmetic — it's carcinogenic." "Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) is a red flag," he told Fox News Digital. Strength training three times per week is ideal, the doctor advised, adding, "Resistance training reduces visceral fat and inflammation." For more Health articles, visit Proper nutrition is also important, he said. "Eat like your life depends on it — because it does. Stop feeding your cancer risk." "Understand that belly fat isn't just cosmetic — it's carcinogenic," Osborn added. "You may not feel it now, but the clock is ticking. Visceral fat is silent, aggressive and deadly — and it's doing damage even if your BMI is 'normal.'"
Los Angeles Times
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘She is Art': Artist expresses personality through paintings
Years after an abusive relationship, Karren Sager chose to express her artwork through quantum mechanics. Her painting 'She is Art' is inspired by engineer Deodatta V. Shenai-Khatkhate, who once wrote: 'I often think that when two Hearts fall in Love, they too enter the quantum entanglement, and influence each other despite their separation.' The painting contains a strong color contrast between the woman and the background; they are portrayed in a shaky and unconventional way. In a blue background with white spots, a woman with closed eyes and clasped hands opens her mouth with a stream of abstract patterns and lightning shapes next to it. This abstraction is quantum mechanics. 'So physics is fun. I enjoy reading about quantum mechanics and everything, and I read this quote,' said Sager, 42, a local Austin artist who operates under BoBnNoVa Art. 'I thought it was such a beautiful concept of love that had to drop.' The theme of the painting, as Sager described, is about women overcoming obstacles – straightforward and meaningful. During the painting process, she incorporates personal emotions and messages she wishes to convey. 'One of the things about leaving any relationship is about returning to yourself,' Sager said. 'Because you kind of become meshed with people that you are with, and they affect your emotions and your mind and your spirit.' According to Sager, working as a local artist in Austin is therapy. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute has reported that 72 percent of its participants had a significant reduction in anxiety after engaging in creative arts therapies. Sager, as an artist, has used paintings to reconcile a post-traumatic time. She said she recognized the individual differences when it comes to relationships, but one's own relationship is the ultimate important factor to prioritize. 'But I think if you find a partner, and it doesn't matter, girl, boy, whatever, that you can connect with and share and have the ability for each person to take care of their own things,' Sager said. 'Because if you have two people that are good at the exact same thing, and they're on top of each other trying to beat each other all the time. That doesn't make a relationship.' Sager's other works range from landscapes to animal portraits, all in abstract form. She's also into boots: boots organized in a storage box, a boot topped with a cake, a cowboy boot with a UFO beaming up a cow. Sager said these connect with her because this quirkiness is her personality. 'It's okay to just be yourself,' she said. 'And it doesn't have to be like this crazy thing.' Related
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wildfires are complicating cancer care: Study
Wildfires and other climate-induced weather extremes are posing an increased threat to cancer patients by shifting their treatment trajectories and access to care, a new study has determined. Patients recovering from lung cancer surgery within an active wildfire zone required longer hospital stays than those in areas that had no such blazes, scientists reported in the study, published on Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. These lengthier stays could be due to the reluctance of health care providers to discharge patients to a hazardous environment, housing instability or safety issues — or due to the unavailability of routine post-op care, staff shortages or shuttered rehab centers, according to the study. 'There are currently no guidelines for protecting the health and safety of patients recovering from lung cancer surgery during wildfires in the United States,' lead author Leticia Nogueira, scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. 'In the absence of guidelines, clinicians might resort to improvisational strategies,' Nogueira added, noting that doing so serves to 'better protect the health and safety of patients during wildfires.' The complex nature of post-operative recovery from lung cancer procedures coupled with wildfire disasters pose considerable threats to patient health, beyond exposure to smoke, the authors stressed. For example, they pointed to factors like water and soil contamination, evacuation orders while handling mobility and cognitive challenges, disruptions in pharmacy and grocery hours and changes in transportation accessibility. Nogueira and her colleagues studied data available via the National Cancer Database for individuals 18 years or older who received a lobectomy or pneumonectomy for stages 1 to 3 lung cancer between 2004 and 2021. They then evaluated differences between the length of stay for wildfire-exposed patients — those hospitalized in a Presidential Disaster Declaration area between the dates of surgery and discharge — and unexposed patients treated at the same facility during a non-disaster period. The results revealed that patients exposed to a wildfire disaster had hospital stays that were on average two days longer: 9.4 days in comparison to 7.5 days. That two-day difference, which applied to patients across all stages of cancer, could take a toll on U.S. health care systems, as hospital stays nationwide cost about $1,500 per day, according to the study. As climate change continues to intensify and extend wildfire season, the researchers urged health care institutions to adapt and improve their clinical and disaster preparedness strategies for specific patient populations. These tactics, the authors continued, must also account for environmental influences. 'This study is just the tip of the iceberg showing how extreme weather may be impacting patients with chronic illnesses,' senior author Amruta Nori-Sarma, deputy director of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment, said in a statement. 'As the wildfire season gets longer and more intense, and wildfires start affecting broader swathes of the U.S. population, health care providers need to be ready with updated guidance that best protects their patients' health,' Nori-Sarma added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
