
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.
This study looked at any link between being very overweight and developing a pre cancerous condition of the food pipe called Barrett’s oesophagus.
The numbers of people becoming obese, and the numbers of people developing Barrett’s oesophagus are rising at a similar rate. So there may be a possible link between the 2 conditions.
Obesity is when a measurement called your is greater than 30. Barrett's oesophagus is a condition where cells lining the food pipe (oesophagus) become abnormal. People with Barrett's oesophagus have a small increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer.
If researchers find a link between obesity and Barrett’s, they may be able to develop ways of reducing cancer risk in this group of people.
The aim of this study was to see how many people with Barrett’s oesophagus are
The study team found that although some people with Barrett’s oesophagus were normal weight, more people who were overweight had the condition. And this was highest in the people whose fat was mainly around their waist (abdominal obesity).
The study team asked people who were due to have an endoscopy to take part in the study.
When people agreed to take part the team:
Depending on the results of the endoscopy people were put into 1 of 2 groups.
The study team then looked at a number of different factors including:
They found that:
The study team looked at people’s insulin levels and other factors that are linked with metabolic syndrome. This is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. They found that people with higher insulin levels and metabolic syndrome were more likely to have Barrett’s oesophagus.
The team concluded that abdominal obesity is a high risk factor for developing Barrett’s oesophagus. This adds to the importance of health promotion programmes which help people to lose weight and manage their diet.
They would like to see more work done on the link between insulin levels and metabolic syndrome and Barrett’s oesophagus. This would help us understand more about how these conditions are linked.
We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team who did the research. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Matthew Banks
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
University College London (UCL)
University College London Hospital Charity
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.