Weight Loss Could Lead to Decreased Expression of Cancer-Promoting Proteins

Overweight or obese women who lost weight through diet and exercise also lowered the level of 3 proteins in the blood that promote tumor growth.

In a study published by Cancer Research, investigators measured the amount of 3 proteins known to increase tumor-related angiogenesis in the blood of 439 postmenopausal women.

Researchers analyzed how the expression of the proteins changed once the overweight, sedentary participants lost weight through diet and/or exercise.

Patients either went on a calorie- and fat-restricted diet, participated in aerobic exercise 5 days per week, combined diet and exercise, or participated in no interventions. The researchers found that participants in the diet group and the diet with exercise group lost the most weight, and had lower levels of angiogenesis-related proteins compared with women in the exercise group, or the control group, according to the study.

These findings suggest that weight loss could be an effective way to improve the “angiogenic profile” of individuals. The researchers concluded that there could be a link between reduced levels of the proteins and decreased tumor growth.