OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY, AND CANCER RISK

A review in this month's issue highlights how excess body weight is directly associated with cancer risk at several organ sites, including colon, breast (in postmenopausal women), endometrium, oesophagus, and kidney. Authors of the review suggest that these associations with cancer risk may be explained by alterations in the metabolism of endogenous hormones--including sex steroids, insulin, and insulin-like growth factors--which can lead to distortion of the normal balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis (cell death). They conclude that avoidance of weight gain seems to be an important factor for cancer prevention.

This month's Leading Edge editorial ('You are what you eat') examines the dramatic increases in obesity worldwide, the growing number of legal attacks on the fast-food industry, and the effectiveness of government policies designed to tackle the growing health burden in relation to obesity.

OTHER REVIEWS:

Part I: Chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer--treatment at first diagnosis
Part II: Chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer--treatment of recurrent disease

A two-part review about ovarian cancer. The first review deals with first-line treatment of primary ovarian cancer and highlights that platinum agents are the most important drugs for treatment of this disease; however doubts remain over the dose, timing, duration, and scheduling of these agents to obtain optimum benefit. The second review deals with the use of chemotherapy to treat recurrent ovarian cancer. The paper discusses a wide range of treatment options and the problems that still need to be overcome to improve treatment.

Green fluorescent protein imaging of tumour growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis in mouse models

Poor-prognosis high-grade gliomas: evolving an evidence-based standard of care

THE PRICE OF ANTI
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Contact: Richard Lane
richard.lane@lancet.com
44-20-7424-4949
Lancet
28-Aug-2002