ATLANTA A study released today says being overweight hurts men’s chances of having successful radiation treatment for prostate cancer.
Researchers at Texas M-D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston found that moderately and severely obese men had a 70 percent higher risk of having a tumor recur after radiation treatment than thinner men did.
The researchers, who examined records of 873 patients, are said to be the first to explore a link between obesity and prostate cancer recurrence.
The same researchers found last year that heavier men after prostate cancer surgery and treatment were more likely to have rising levels of P-S-A, a blood protein that can signal the cancer.
Sara Strom, who led both studies, said they confirm that obesity is a significant factor in a man’s welfare after prostate cancer treatment.
Still, it is not clear why being overweight affected the success of the treatment. Strom said fat tissue, by secreting certain hormones, may somehow have helped the cancer to progress later.
