Weight loss surgeries are intended to cut excess amount of weight from our body. But do you know that these surgeries may also reduce the risk of cancer in women. This surprising finding was released on Tuesday by a group of Swedish researchers who discovered that weight loss surgery may also help obese women to lower the risks of developing cancer.

The 10-year study published on Lancet Oncology reported that women who had undergone weight loss surgery are 42 percent less likely to come into contact with cancer. The study also revealed that men on the other hand did not benefit much from the surgery mainly because only a small number of men had undergone these surgeries and most of the cancers are result of female hormones like estrogen.

People have long known that obesity can increase the risk of cancer. A recent study released in the Journal of American Medical Association reported that people who were obese at young age have higher probability to develop pancreatic cancer. This group of people has twice the risk of getting aggressive pancreatic cancer that may lead to death.

In the study headed by Lars Sjostrom of Sahlgrenska University, Gothenburg, researchers compare 2010 obese patients who had undergone weight loss surgery with 2037 obese patients who tried standard diet and other exercise for weight loss treatment. The results were truly in favor of the weight loss surgery group as people in this category lost almost 19.9 kg or 43 pounds of weight over the study period of 10 years while the other group of people following diet and exercise gained 1.3 kg.

Weight loss surgeries were also reported to cut the risks of cancer by 1/3 with women enjoying the maximum benefit. The results showed that among the surveyed women, 79 had first time cancers in the weight loss surgery category compared to 130 among those who employed exercise and diet to reduce their weight.

When asked about the benefits for men, Dr. Andrew Renehan of University of Manchester, UK, said that only fewer men participated in the study and hence the result. He also said that women were the one who were more likely to get affected by cancer, mainly the post-menopausal breast and endometrial cancers. Renehan added that the effects of weight loss surgery would take longer time to show up in men who are prone mostly to colon and kidney cancers that take longer time to become evident.

Adding to the points of Renehan, Dr. Leena Khaitan also confirmed the fact that 80% of patients who undergo weight loss surgery are women and thus makes the difference in the benefits enjoyed by women with the surgery. She also praised the efforts of the researchers and added that study like this may be important to show people that weight loss surgery may be a way to prevent deadly diseases like cancer.

After a successful research on cancer treatment, a group of doctors and scientists from Vancouver is set to receive international recognition. Their breakthrough discovery paves a positive procedure for the medical community to diagnose and treat cancer.

More than 40 scientists and doctors composed the research team from BC Cancer Agency and Vancouver Coastal Health Institute. The team who collaborated discovered that granulose cell tumours are brought about by genes sharing a single mutation. The said genetic mutation commonly causes ovarian cancer, which is recorded to be rare and untreatable.

The researcher compared the successful breakthrough as similar to finding a needle in a haystack considering the complexities of cancer cells, which are composed of almost three billion genetic codes.

However, result from the breakthrough published in the New England Journal of Medicine promises more application to ovarian cancer cases. As the research team utilizes state-of-the-art technology that led to the discovery of the ovarian cancer’s DNA having a single mutation, this can also be applied to identify other cancer’s genetic sequences.

According to Dr. David Huntsman, a genetic pathologist at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver General Hospital and the University of B.C, the team can now decode cancer sequences completely. He said that this achievement was something almost impossible two years ago.

With the discovery, doctors are now able to diagnose individual “recipe” for their cancer patients. Huntsman posits to the idea since the opportunity for the medical community to identify genetic sequences of certain cancers effectively established the route to personalized treatment for individual patient. He further stated that people should recognize that cancer patients have different reactions not only to their diseases but also their response and adaptation to treatments.

British researchers have come over radical stuff in remedying breast and ovarian cancer. A significant tumor-busting gene is the crux of their research. BRCA1 is the sought after gene and its detailed analysis brings nothing short of a revelation. In UK alone, the breakthrough research could save up to 0.15 million women lives. Defunct BRCA1 has been the overlying cause of forceful ovarian and breast cancers.

Mutation of BRCA1 gene, largely hereditary, puts the body in a quandary, where it can hardly replenish fragmented DNA. This results in malignant cells. Yet, the function of BRCA1 and how a defunct BRCA1 increases the risk of cancer is largely unexplained until recently. According to scientists at Medical Research Council, involvement of a protein named Ct1P cannot be overruled. A defunct BRCA1 will not be able to interact correctly with Ct1P thus rendering it dysfunctional in replenishing damaged DNA.

According to champion author Dr Kevin Hiom, the revelation is nothing short of a smart breakthrough. He seems to be exceptionally pleased with the aftermath of the research suggesting that the precise mechanism behind DNA repair will uncover many more mysteries. He said that if researchers can understand how DNA repair works, it will give them a better chance to find the exact treatment and prevention steps to fight against ovarian and breast cancer.

The BRCA1 ‘cancer susceptibility gene’ is present in 1 out of every 800 women thus enhancing the chance of breast carcinoma by 85 percent. Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge has become the cynosure of all eyes with this breakthrough igniting hopes of cancer remedy. Women are certainly merrier with what they are hearing.