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The aim of this study was to explore the effects of diet-induced weight loss on biomarkers for colorectal (bowel) cancer (CRC) risk that can be found in blood and tissue. This exploratory study included 20 adults with obesity completing an 8 week, liquid weight loss diet program (810 calories per day) based on formula diet products (Cambridge Weight Plan, Northants, UK). Participants were weighed at the start of the diet and at the end. They also had blood taken, and underwent a flexible sigmoidoscopy (a procedure used to see inside the sigmoid colon and rectum) to obtain tissue samples. On average, participants lost almost 14% of their initial body weight over the 8 week period. Their blood samples showed reductions in insulin, glucose, and cholesterol. Ki-67 (a marker for cell proliferation or cell division) was reduced in the tissue samples. This could be relevant for cancer as uncontrolled cell proliferation is a trait of cancer cells. Further analyses of the collected samples is on-going.
Principal investigator: Dr Rebecca Beeken
Collaborators: Dr Marc Gunter (IARC), Austin Obichere (UCLH), Nicholas Finer, Robert Goldin & Ginaluca Campanella (Imperial College London)
Contact: Rebecca Beeken (r.beeken[at]ucl.ac.uk)
Principal investigator: Dr Rebecca Beeken
Collaborators: Dr Marc Gunter (IARC), Austin Obichere (UCLH), Nicholas Finer, Robert Goldin & Ginaluca Campanella (Imperial College London)
Contact: Rebecca Beeken (r.beeken[at]ucl.ac.uk)
