Obesity, Metabolic Health and Cancer

Obesity and metabolic dysfunction are rapidly emerging as major drivers of cancer risk and poor cancer outcomes. Today, more than 41% of U.S. adults live with obesity, placing over 100 million people at increased risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome and at least 13 obesity‑related cancers. Obesity can also delay cancer detection, reduce treatment effectiveness and negatively affect survivorship and long‑term quality of life.

The Obesity, Metabolic Health and Cancer Research Program at The University of Kansas Cancer Center brings together scientists and clinicians to understand how obesity and metabolic health influence the cancer continuum. Researchers investigate the biological mechanisms linking excess adiposity to cancer development and progression, while advancing evidence‑based interventions, including nutrition, physical activity and pharmacologic strategies, to break the obesity‑cancer connection and improve patient outcomes. The program is organized around two areas of focus: 

1. Identifying the biological mechanisms that drive obesity and obesity‑related cancer risk: Researchers explore the biological underpinnings of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, and how these affect cancer‑susceptible tissues such as breast, liver, colon and pancreas. By uncovering the molecular pathways that connect obesity to cancer initiation and progression, the program aims to identify new targets for prevention and treatment.
2. Developing interventions that improve metabolic health and cancer outcomes. Teams design and test strategies that address poor metabolic health across the cancer continuum. 
   Program members represent a multidisciplinary mix of experts, including molecular biologists and biochemists, physiologists, nutritionists, exercise and physical activity researchers, population health researchers, chemists and implementation scientists.