Abstract
Obesity is associated with increased risk for all major gastrointestinal cancers. These chronic conditions are hypothesized to be linked via inflammation and/or hormones. Racial disparities persist for obesity with nearly 50% of non-Hispanic Black adults and 45.6% of Hispanic adults having obesity compared to 41.4% of non-Hispanic White adults. Similarly, Black and Hispanic individuals are at increased risk of developing and/or dying from some GI cancers compared to White individuals. Interventions targeting diet and physical activity offer one approach to reducing obesity and risk for developing GI cancers by reducing adiposity and via physiologic processes (e.g. modification of the gut microbiota) to promote a less carcinogenic environment in the GI tract. For example, dietary modifications can lead to weight loss and also modify the gut microbiota to lower risk for colorectal cancer. Previous research from our team has also identified racial differences in the gut microbiota suggesting that the gut microbiota is a viable target for intervention to reduce racial disparities in obesity and GI cancers. Strategies to reduce disparities in obesity and cancer using bio-behavioral approaches that focus on diet and the gut microbiota will be discussed.
Citation Format: Tiffany L. Carson. Bio-behavioral approaches to reducing racial disparities in obesity and GI cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA045.
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