Can Deep Belly Fat Cause Cancer? New Study Finds Shocking Link That Could Fuel Aggressive Cancer In Women

A new study presented at the 38th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM 2025) has found a strong connection between deep belly fat, also known as visceral fat, and aggressive

endometrial cancer in women. Researchers say it’s not just how much belly fat a woman has that matters, but how active that fat is. Visceral fat that burns more glucose (sugar) for energy may actually fuel cancer growth and make the disease spread faster.For years, doctors have known that obesity increases the risk of endometrial cancer, especially in postmenopausal women. But this study suggests that not all fat is equally harmful. The behaviour of visceral fat, depending on how inflamed and metabolically active it is, could play a much bigger role in determining cancer severity. This discovery could change how doctors understand and assess cancer risk in women, especially as global rates of obesity and endometrial cancer continue to rise.

What The Study Found

Scientists from Haukeland University Hospital and the University of Bergen analysed PET/CT scans of 274 women with endometrial cancer. They measured how much glucose the visceral fat around each woman’s internal organs was consuming—a sign of how “metabolically active” it was.The results were clear:

• Women whose visceral fat had higher metabolic activity were more likely to have advanced-stage cancer.
• They were also more likely to show lymph node metastases, meaning the cancer had already started to spread.
• Interestingly, the amount of belly fat didn’t directly relate to cancer risk, what really mattered was how active and inflamed that fat was.

Why Active Belly Fat Is Dangerous

Visceral fat is the deeper layer of fat that surrounds your liver, stomach, and intestines. Unlike the softer fat under your skin, this type of fat produces inflammatory chemicals and hormones that can affect your metabolism and overall health. Here’s how metabolically active visceral fat may make cancer more aggressive:Chronic Inflammation: Active belly fat releases inflammatory chemicals that help tumors grow and spread.Insulin Resistance: It can cause the body to resist insulin, which fuels cancer cell growth.Adipokine Signaling: Fat cells send out chemical signals (adipokines) that “communicate” with cancer cells, helping them survive and invade nearby tissues.This “conversation” between fat tissue and cancer cells could be the reason why women with highly active visceral fat face more severe forms of endometrial cancer. Additionally, the findings may open new paths in cancer treatment. In the future, doctors could use advanced imaging tools or targeted therapies to calm down or neutralise “hot” visceral fat, potentially slowing cancer growth.