ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER: A CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

According to the official statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2022–2024, more than one billion people worldwide are overweight or obese, while more than 10 million people die from cancer annually. Approximately 30% of cancer cases are associated with excess body weight, which is considered a modifiable carcinogenic risk factor. Endometrial cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies among women, and estrogen-dependent mechanisms play a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Excess adipose tissue enhances the aromatase-mediated conversion of androgens into estrogens, resulting in prolonged endometrial stimulation, which subsequently promotes endometrial hyperplasia and malignant transformation. Investigating the pathophysiological relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the development of endometrial cancer through a clinical and epidemiological approach is of considerable importance in contemporary medical practice, as obesity represents a modifiable risk factor whose correction may substantially reduce cancer risk.