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MONTREAL – Abdominal obesity appears to be linked to a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests a study by the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS). The study is the latest in a growing body of research demonstrating the link.
The study, published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control and directed by Prof. Marie-Élise Parent from INRS, analyzed data from a survey conducted in Montreal between 2005 and 2012.
According to the data, the risk of developing prostate cancer appears to be associated with the distribution of body fat, with the highest risk related to abdominal fat.
“Abdominal obesity is associated with a decrease in testosterone, as well as a state of chronic inflammation linked to the development of aggressive tumors”, explains the lead author of the study, Éric Vallières, a student at the University. of Montreal who is carrying out his doctoral research at the University of Montreal. INRS.
The correlation between obesity and prostate cancer is less obvious when it comes to general obesity, when fat is distributed more evenly throughout the body. The research team says this may be due to the general effect of obesity on cancer screening tests.
“In obese people, the protein used to detect prostate cancer at an early stage […] becomes diluted in the blood, ”Vallières said. “This hemodilution makes cancer more difficult to detect. “
In Canada, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men and the third leading cause of cancer death.
“Determining risk factors for aggressive cancer is a big step forward in health research because it is the most difficult to treat,” said Parent. “This data creates an opportunity to work in a preventive manner, by monitoring more closely men with this risk factor. “
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