Epidemiological data demonstrate a positive correlation between obesity and cancer risk. We examined carcinogenesis in a "fatless" mouse that has profound type 2 diabetes and chronic inflammation. These "fatless" mice developed both chemically induced papillomas and genetically induced breast tumors (cover image) earlier than wild-type controls and these tumors are more numerous and bigger. These data indicate that diabetes and inflammation promote tumor development in the absence of adipose tissue. Thus, the observed epidemiological correlation between obesity and cancer may not necessarily be due to excessive adipose tissue or its secreted adipokines, but rather to indirect consequences of obesity, i.e., insulin resistance/diabetes and/or inflammation. For details, see the article by Nunez et al. on page 5469 of this issue.

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