LEP and metabolic syndrome: Several studies suggested that the leading mechanisms explaining how weight excess can affect the risk of differentiated, mostly papillary, thyroid cancer are in the pro-inflammatory background (interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha), insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and altered signaling of thyroid-stimulating hormone, insulin growth factor 1, leptin, adiponectin, and androgens, ultimately promoting thyroid cell proliferation (60, 61, 62, 63).