Obesity Linked to the Return of Prostate Cancer

Men who have been treated for prostate cancer are less likely to have a recurrence if they maintain a healthy weight, according to a recent study in the journal Urology. University of California researchers analyzed data on 2,131 prostate cancer patients from 1989 to 2002, using the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) database.

Obese men, defined as those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, were found to have a 30 percent increased risk of cancer recurrence, compared with those with lower body weights. Very obese patients (BMI greater than 35) had the overall greatest risk of recurrence—about 70 percent higher than thinner men. Results emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy weight.

Other research has shown that the average person following a vegetarian diet weighs about 10 percent less than the average meat-eater and that low-fat vegetarian diets are effective in helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Furthermore, vegetarians are also less likely to develop cancer when compared with their meat-eating counterparts.

Bassett WW, Cooperberg MR, Sadetsky N, et al. Impact of obesity on prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy: data from CaPSURE. Urology. 2005;66:1060-1065.

The Cancer Project News, Winter 2006

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