Obesity predicts prostate cancer recurrence

Filed under: Prostate Cancer

Obese men have an increased risk of prostate cancer recurrence and death after radiation therapy, according to a study led by Dr. David Palma at the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Obesity had already been known to predict cancer progression in men who underwent complete removal of the prostate gland.

The researchers examined whether obesity is related to outcome for patients who underwent external beam radiation therapy. They examined three groups, normal weight, overweight and obese. There were no differences in the patients' Gleason scores, PSA scores or cancer stage. Testosterone blood levels were lower in the obese men.

The average time to relapse was 93 months for the normal-weight men, 88 months for the overweight men and 84 months for the obese men. Explanations given by the researchers include dietary factors and changes in hormonal levels.

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[Source: The Cancer Blog]