Obesity Linked to Prostate Cancer Death Rates

Obesity Linked to Prostate Cancer Death Rates
MONDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In another sign that too muchweight spells health problems, new research suggests that fat men aretwice as likely to die after being diagnosed with prostate cancer than menof normal weight.
The research doesn't confirm a cause-and-effect link between obesityand a higher risk of death from prostate cancer, and it's not clear iflosing weight would help patients after they're diagnosed with thedisease.
Still, "if you look down the list of factors that are most predictiveof a bad outcome, this [excess weight] ranks up there pretty high," saidstudy co-author Dr. Matthew R. Smith, an oncologist at MassachusettsGeneral Hospital in Boston.
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the disease strikes one insix American men and is the most prevalent form of non-skin cancer in theUnited States. Risk rises with age, with more than 65 percent of all casesdiagnosed in men over the age of 65.
However, prostate cancer can successfully be treated in many cases,particularly if it's caught early.
In the new study, Smith and his colleagues examined the results of menwith advanced prostate cancer who were enrolled in a drug study between1987 and 1992. The researchers looked at 788 men whose weights wererecorded at the time of diagnosis to see if their body mass index -- BMI,a ratio of weight to height -- affected their risk of dying.
The researchers found that 6.5 percent of men with normal or lowweight -- a BMI of less than 25 -- died from prostate cancer within fiveyears. But the death rate for overweight men (a BMI of 25 to 30) was 13.1percent, and it was 12.2 percent for obese men (a BMI of 30 orhigher).
The higher rate of death remained constant even when the researchersadjusted their findings for other possible factors.
The study results are published in the Nov. 12 online issue of thejournal Cancer.
It remains unclear why there might be a link between obesity and deathrates from prostate cancer. It's possible that metabolism rates in heavymen might make the cancer more aggressive, Smith said, or obesity couldrender treatments less effective.
Dr. Martha K. Terris, a professor of urology at the Medical College ofGeorgia, who's familiar with the study findings, said hormone balancecould be another factor. "Obesity changes the proportion of estrogen andtestosterone in the blood, and this change may impact on the cancerbehavior," she said.
Terris added that "obese individuals generally eat more high-fat dietswith less fruits and vegetables that could contain key vitamins that helpcontrol cancer growth."
For now, Smith said, "the part we can't know is whether improvements inlifestyle intervention after prostate cancer diagnosis would improveoutcomes."
Still, it would be wise for doctors to tell their patients about theapparent link between weight and prostate cancer death rates, Smith said."This may be a teachable moment that prompts a discussion about generalhealth considerations," he said.
In a related study published in Cancer, University of Michiganresearchers found that families coping with prostate cancer reportedimproved quality of life from a structured support program integrated intothe patients cancer management. The study, led by Dr. Laurel Northouse,found that patients and their spouses who participated in a five-sessionhome counseling program reported significant improvement in such areas assymptom management, hope, uncertainty and the couples' communication.