Besides increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, doctors have also linked excess body fat with many forms of cancer. A new study from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), published in Cancer Communications, suggests that the connection may be much stronger than scientists previously realized. Researchers wanted to answer a simple question: how many cancer cases could actually be linked to carrying too much body fat? This gave researchers a rare opportunity to examine the long-term effects of body weight on cancer risk. After making this adjustment, the relationship between excess body fat and cancer became much clearer.