MONDAY, July 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Cancer deaths linked to obesity more than tripled in the U.S. during the past two decades, a new study says.

Deaths linked to the 13 types of obesity-related cancer rose to 13.5 deaths per million from 3.7 deaths per million between 1999 and 2020, researchers reported Sunday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

“Obesity is a significant risk factor for multiple cancers, contributing to significant mortality,” said lead researcher Dr. Faizan Ahmed of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City, N.J.

“This research underscores the need for targeted public health strategies such as early screening and improved access to care, especially in high-risk rural and underserved areas,” Ahmed added in a news release.

More than 40% of U.S. adults have obesity, and obesity-related cancers represent 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year, researchers said in background notes.

These include esophageal, breast, colon, uterine, gallbladder, stomach, kidney, liver, ovarian, pancreatic, thyroid and brain cancers, as well as the blood cancer multiple myeloma, researchers said.

For the new study, researchers used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to track more than 33,500 deaths from obesity-related cancers.

Overall, obesity-related cancer deaths rose by nearly 6% a year on average between 1999 and 2000, results show.

Between 2018 and 2020 the death rate took a dramatic turn upward, rising by more than 19% on average, researchers said.

The study revealed sharp increases in obesity-related cancer deaths among specific groups, including women, seniors, Black people, Native Americans, and folks living in rural areas.

The Midwest had the highest rate of obesity-related cancer deaths at nearly 8 per million, while the Northeast had the lowest at under 6 per million, results show.

Vermont, Minnesota and Oklahoma had the highest state-specific rates of obesity-related cancer deaths, while Utah, Alabama and Virginia had the lowest.

“Given these trends, targeted public health interventions, including preventive measures, early screening, and equitable healthcare access, are pivotal,” researchers concluded in their presentation abstract.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on obesity and cancer.

SOURCE: Endocrine Society, news release, July 13, 2025