News and Views
Study Says Obesity Increases Risk of Death from Prostate Cancer
A new study reports that obesity increases the risk of death from prostate cancer, though it does not increase the overall risk a man will succumb to the disease. Published in the February 15, 2007 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals that higher body mass index (BMI) and weight gain in adulthood correlated strongly with increased risk of death from prostate cancer.
However, no such association was found between BMI or weight gain and the development of the cancer. The study is the first large, prospective study to identify increasing weight after age 18 as an independent, poor prognostic factor for prostate cancer.
The incidence of obesity has increased dramatically worldwide, the ACS said. Today, 30 percent of American adults are categorized as obese. Obesity is linked to chronic medical problems, including heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease, stroke, and, some studies indicate higher BMIs are linked to some cancers, including breast and colorectal cancer.
The influence of obesity and weight gain on the development of localized and aggressive forms of prostate cancer is not clear.