People who are living in the Asia-Pacific region and are overweight or obese run a considerably increased risk for mortality from cancer in contrast to the risk for individuals who are not overweight or have normal weight, according to a new report published online June 30 in Lancet Oncology.

Amongst the individuals with a body mass index that is higher than 18.5 kg/m2, the authors established that there was ‘a constructive and incessant link between BMI and all-cancer mortality.’

If contrasted with people, who have a normal weight, the virtual risk for cancer-related mortality was 1.06, 95% confidence interval, 1.00 - 1.12, for those who were overweight and 1.21, 95% CI, 1.09 - 1.36, amongst obese persons.

In addition to that, the positive relationship noted between BMI and all-cancer mortality was chiefly marked colon cancer, breast cancer, in women 60 years or above, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and leukemia.

These results have obvious implications for health policy, as noted by Andrew G. Renehan, PhD, FRCS, FDS, from the Department of Surgery, School of Cancer Studies, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, in a supplementary editorial.

Even though, the mean BMI values have seen an increase in numerous North American and European populations during the preceding 30 years, those for Asian populations have normally lagged behind, Dr. Renehan’s explanation.