More reason to get your weight under control especially if you're a man. As a patient's body mass index went up, so too did cancer of the prostate tumor volume.
What's more, the size of the tumor may well contribute to the aggressiveness of the disease in those men who have a higher BMI.
The experts discovered the relationship after examining the cases of 3,327 patients who had cancerous prostate tumors removed by a robotic procedure.
The study subjects were broken into six categories based on their BMI (a weight to height ratio) measurements. The generally accepted standards for BMI - under 24.9 being normal, 25.0 to 29.9 being considered overweight, 30.0 to 34.9 being considered obese and anything over 40.0 classified as extremely obese - were used here. The median age of the subjects was 60 years old across all measures of BMI.
Tumors were weighed and compared to a categorized database of prostate weight.
In each BMI group, without fail, the team found the patient's weight was in direct correlation with tumor size. The more weight, the bigger the tumor; the less weight, the smaller the tumor.
According to estimates based on government data, prostate cancer deaths are expected to go up by 17% this year, diagnosed cases to rise by 13% - the biggest jump since the mid 1990s. In fact, this year an estimated 192,000 men will be diagnosed in the United States, 27,000 will die from the disease.
It's also no secret that obesity rates are on the rise, and too much weight has been linked in research to a number of well-known cancers - cancer of the breast and endometrium (lining of the womb), the esophagus, the gallbladder, the kidney, the bowel and the pancreas.
Obesity also appears to affect the progression of disease once a patient starts treatment - obesity appears tied to recurrence. Why is this?
Science knows that heavier people produce more of hormones that help tumors to grow, and wider waistlines encourage the body to produce growth hormones that have also been linked to cancer.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men, and it typically grows slowly, very often staying in the prostate gland and not causing much concern. These are the cases that have the best chance of successful treatment - a reported 99% survival rate five years out. However, there are forms of prostate cancer that are aggressive and spread rapidly.
Of course, getting men to the doctor (let alone to submit to a digital rectal exam) isn't all that easy. Many physicians attribute men's reluctance to our macho culture that makes such visits seem like a sign of weakness.
PSA tests, though controversial, are intended to detect prostate cancer before it can be felt as a mass during an exam. The good news is that early detection can, and does, save lives. There are even forms of prostate cancer treatment that allow you to keep right on doing everything you do today. You can still live a long, active life.
While no one knows what causes prostate cancer, a family history, getting older, the effects of hormones as well as factors in the environment (toxins, chemicals and industrial products) and in your diet may all play a part.
If you're worried about your own risk of developing cancer of the prostate or your BMI is higher than it should be, this research suggests that now is the time to do all you can to minimize obesity risks by getting your weight under control.
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