Mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and Hodgkin lymphoma

© International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers (ISOBM) 2016 ; A solid body of knowledge indicates that overweight and obese subjects are prone to develop cancer, aggressive disease, and death more than their lean counterparts. While obesity has been causally associated with various cancers, only a limited number of studies beheld the link with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Contemporary metaanalysis and prospective studies confirmed the association of body mass index with HL. Besides epidemiological evidence, excess adiposity is known to influence tumor behavior through adipokines, adipose-derived stem cell migration, and metabolism regulation, and by modulating immunoinflammatory response. Nevertheless, the obesity paradox has been described in few cancers. Considering that adipose tissue is an immunomodulatory organ, and that inflammation is the cornerstone of HL pathophysiology, the rationale for being causally related due to endocrine/paracrine interactions cannot be negligible. In this hypothesis-generating review, we explore the biologically plausible links between excess adiposity and HL in light of recent basic and clinical data, in order to create a basis for understanding the underlying mechanisms and foster applied research. The establishment of an association of excess adiposity with HL will determine public health preventive measures to fight obesity and eventually novel therapeutic approaches in HL patients. ; The authors acknowledge the support from Instituto de Investigação Bento da Rocha Cabral. This work was supported by the RayBiotech grant (RayBiotech 2013 Innovative Research Grant Award). MJ Oliveira is a recipient of a Portuguese Science Foundation Investigator FCT2012 position. RayBiotech’s 2013 Innovative Research Grant program supports the proposal entitled BGenetic, molecular and cellular determinants of the causal association between obesity and Hodgkin Lymphoma,^ which focuses in the comprehension of pathophysiological mechanisms behind this unexplored association. ...