Overweight Men Face Higher Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer (PCa)

Obese men are at a greater risk of developing more advanced forms of prostate cancer (PCa), according to a new report.

‘Strong evidence’ was found for a link between body fatness and aggressive PCa which could be fatal.

The findings were released as part of the World Cancer Research Fund’s Continuous Update Project (CUP) which analyzed global scientific research into lifestyle factors and its association with PCa. With the inclusion of 104 studies, more than 9.8 million men and over 191,000 cases of PCa were studied.

“The emergence of a link between body fatness and advanced PCa could have important implications,” said Kate Allen, Executive Director of Science & Public Affairs at the World Cancer Research Fund International. “It may raise questions in relation to PCa screening in particular, whether excess weight ought to be included alongside factors like family history in discussions between [doctors] and men at risk of advanced PCa.”

“We already know that men over 50, black men and men with a family history are more likely to develop the disease,” said Matthew Hobbs, Deputy Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK. “This report shows that there is growing evidence that BMI and waist size may be another tell-tale sign. Importantly, unlike other known risk factors, this is something that men can do something about.”


A report from a leading cancer prevention charity estimates that one in 10 advanced prostate cancer cases in the UK could be prevented, if men kept a healthy weight.Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men. In the UK, more than 41,000 men are diagnosed each year and the condition leads to approximately 10,000 deaths a year. The finding was made after an analysis of the global scientific research into lifestyle factors and prostate cancer in the World Cancer Research Fund's Continuous Update Project (CUP). 

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