Obesity is associated with close to 500,000 new cancer cases worldwide each year, and nearly two-thirds of obesity-related cancers occur in North America and Europe, a new report shows.

The analysis of data from 184 countries showed that excess weight was associated with 345,000 (5.4 percent) of new cancers in women in 2012, and 136,000 (1.9 percent) of new cancers in men in 2012.

Among women, postmenopausal breast, endometrial and colon cancers accounted for nearly three-quarters (250,000 cases) of obesity-related cancers, while colon and kidney cancers accounted for more than two-thirds (nearly 90,000 cases) of obesity-related cancers in men.

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Excess weight was associated with about 8 percent of cancers in women and 3 percent of cancers in men in developed nations, compared with 1.5 percent of cancers in women and 0.3 percent of cancers in men in developing nations.

In 2012, the highest number of obesity-related cancers was in North America, with more than 110,000 (23 percent of the worldwide total), while the lowest number was in sub-Saharan Africa, with 7,300 cases (1.5 percent of the global total). In Europe, there were 66,000 obesity-related cancer cases.