Pathophysiology of Obesity and Cancer: Drugs and Signaling Targets

Obesity and cancer are two of the major highly prevailing health disorders of public health concern. Obesity is a documented strong risk factor for many cancers particularly breast and pancreatic cancers. With a progressively increasing prevalence over the past few decades, obesity and cancer continues to leave a footprint of significant morbidity and mortality across different age groups and populations around the world. The global burden of obesity and cancer on health systems has reached alarming proportions necessitating ongoing research into novel approaches and innovative solutions for prevention and control. Such innovative research endeavors have yielded an evolution of efficacious drug treatments for obesity and cancers over time, some of which are used separately or in combination. This chapter highlights the meeting point between obesity and cancer with focus on their management.