Large waistline linked to higher risk of prostate cancer death
FROM ECOICO 2020
Study strengths and next steps
As this was an observational study, the researchers could not confirm a causal association between central adiposity and prostate cancer death. That is why Dr. Perez-Cornago and collaborators plan to do further work that will include biomarker studies. The team also will look at stage and grade data when available in the UK Biobank.
“There is strong evidence that men with greater body fat are at a higher risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer. It is time to build on this,” said Barbra Dickerman, PhD, who has looked at the relationship between obesity and prostate cancer progression (Cancer. 2019 Aug 15;125[16]:2877-85).
“First, predictive analyses of directly measured body fat distribution may sharpen our view of who is at the highest risk,” observed Dr. Dickerman, a research fellow in the department of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
“Second, causal analyses of precisely defined energy balance strategies may help to identify targeted prevention strategies that minimize that risk,” she added.
One of the strengths of Dr. Pérez-Cornago’s work was that it used data from a large, prospective study to examine the link between adiposity and the risk of fatal prostate cancer, observed Ying Wang, PhD, a senior principal scientist of epidemiology research at The American Cancer Society.
“In addition to the large sample size, anthropometric measurements were obtained by trained research clinic staff rather than self-reported by participants, which is a strength compared with many other studies,” Dr. Wang noted.
Furthermore, Dr. Wang said, “The study was also able to control for multiple confounders, including lifestyle factors such as smoking and physical activity. Future studies need to confirm their findings.”
The study was supported by a fellowship from Cancer Research UK. The investigators, Dr. Dickerman, and Dr. Wang had no conflicts of interest to disclose.
SOURCE: Pérez-Cornago A et al. ECOICO 2020. LBP-075.
