Obesity increases the release of tumor-promoting molecules from fat tissue and is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in Endocrine-Related Cancer.

The study found that fat tissue from people with obesity released increased amounts of extracellular vesicles (EV’s) enriched in harmful and inflammatory molecules into the blood stream, which can alter breast cancer cells to become more aggressive and invasive. These findings suggest that substances released from fat tissue may increase tumor malignancy that could lead to new therapeutic targets and improved cancer treatments.