Obesity as a Risk Factor for Prostate Cancer Mortality: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of 280,199 Patients

Simple Summary Results from individual studies on the association between obesity and prostate cancer mortality remain inconclusive; additionally, several large cohort studies have recently been conducted. We aimed to systematically review all available evidence and synthetize it using meta-analytic techniques. The results of our study showed that obesity was associated with prostate cancer specific mortality and all-cause mortality. The temporal association was consistent with a dose-response relationship. Our results demonstrated that obesity, a potentially modifiable prognostic factor, was associated with higher prostate cancer mortality. This study improved the evidence regarding the potential impact of lifestyle on improving prostate cancer prognosis. Strategies aimed at maintaining normal, or reducing abnormal, body mass index in diagnosed prostate cancer patients might improve survival. These results should guide urologists, oncologists, patients, policy-makers and primary care providers with respect to evidence-based practice and counselling concerning lifestyle changes after prostate cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to systematically review all evidence evaluating obesity as a prognostic factor for PC mortality. Cohort and case-control studies reporting mortality among PC patients stratified by body mass index (BMI) were included. The risk of mortality among obese patients (BMI >= 30) was compared with the risk for normal weight (BMI < 25) patients, pooling individual hazard ratios (HR) in random-effects meta-analyses. Reasons for heterogeneity were assessed in subgroup analyses. Dose-response associations for BMI per 5 kg/m(2) change were assessed. Among 7278 citations, 59 studies (280,199 patients) met inclusion criteria. Obesity was associated with increased PC-specific mortality (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10-1.28, I-2: 44.4%) and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00-1.18, I-2: 43.9%). There was a 9% increase (95% CI: 5-12%, I-2: 39.4%) in PC-specific mortality and 3% increase (95% CI: 1-5%, I-2: 24.3%) in all-cause mortality per 5 kg/m(2) increase in BMI. In analyses restricted to the higher quality subgroup (NOS >= 8), obesity was associated with increased PC-specific mortality (HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.14-1.35, I-2: 0.0%) and maintained the dose-response relationship (HR: 1.11 per 5 kg/m(2) increase in BMI, 95% CI: 1.07-1.15, I-2: 26.6%). Obesity had a moderate, consistent, temporal, and dose-response association with PC mortality. Weight control programs may have a role in improving PC survival.

Automated summary

Obesity is associated with increased prostate cancer mortality, with a dose-response relationship. A systematic review of large cohort studies using meta-analytic techniques showed that obesity may contribute to higher mortality rates in prostate cancer patients.