Obesity Worsens Prostate Cancer

More aggressive growth, higher risk of recurrence

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Prostate cancer is more aggressive and harder to treat in obese men, two studies find.

The finding could help explain why prostate cancer is a special problem for black men, who are more likely to be obese than white men, says Dr. Stephen J. Freedland, lead author of one of two studies reporting essentially similar findings in the Dec. 22 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"We suspect that worse outcomes among African-American men with prostate cancer are related to obesity rather than race," says Freedland, a clinical instructor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "If we can target obesity in the African-American community, we may be able to reduce the burden of prostate cancer among black men."

But men of all races can heed the lesson about keeping weight under control, Freedland adds, noting that "obese men often have other medical problems." Obesity has been linked to a higher risk of many conditions, most notably heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

"The general recommendation should be to avoid obesity," says Dr. Christopher L. Amling, lead author of the other report, who holds the rank of commander in the Navy and is assistant professor of urology at the Navy Medical Center in San Diego. "Both papers indicate that maintaining normal weight throughout your lifetime reduces your risk of developing more aggressive prostate cancer."

Freedland's study came from an analysis of data on 1,106 men who underwent surgery for prostate cancer. Men classified as obese on the basis of a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher -- equivalent to a weight of 245 pounds for a 5 foot, 10 inch man -- had a 60 percent risk of cancer recurrence within three years, more than double the risk of non-obese men.

Amling's study included 3,162 prostate cancer patients and defined obesity as a BMI of 30, equivalent to a weight of 210 pounds for that same 5 foot, 10 inch man. The 19 percent of men in the study who met that definition were 20 percent more likely to have the cancer recur.

Tissue analysis showed that cancers from obese men also scored consistently higher on a scale of aggressive growth, both studies say.

"The results are very similar," Amling says. "Both studies suggest that obesity results in more aggressive cancers."

The best explanation for the finding is that obesity causes changes in levels of hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and proteins such as leptin and insulin-like growth factor, which are involved in cell growth and division, Freedland says.

Obese men should be especially careful to have the annual test for prostate-specific antigen recommended by the National Cancer Institute, he says.

"Annual testing should be able to pick up prostate cancer early enough for us to treat it aggressively," Freedland says. "One way to protect yourself is to maintain a healthy weight, with an exercise regimen involved."

More information

Get an overview of prostate cancer from the National Cancer Institute, while you can calculate your BMI online at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com