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Body mass index and mortality in prostate cancer patients: a dose–response meta-analysis

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases volume 19, pages 122–131 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Previous studies concerning the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in prostate cancer yielded mixed results. We investigated the association by performing a meta-analysis of all available studies.

Methods:

Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE to August 2015. We calculated the summary hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using random-effects models. We estimated combined HRs associated with defined increments of BMI, using random-effects meta-analysis and dose–response meta-regression models.

Results:

Thirty-seven cohort studies and one case-control study involving 27 38 000 patients of prostate cancer were selected for meta-analysis. The summary results indicated higher prediagnosis BMI but not postdiagnosis BMI was associated with increased risk of death from prostate cancer. An increment of every 5 kg/m2 in prediagnosis BMI was associated with a 15% higher prostate cancer-specific mortality (HR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.07–1.23, P<0.01). Prediagnosis or postdiagnosis BMI showed no effect on all-cause mortality in prostate cancer patients.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, higher prediagnosis BMI is associated with a higher risk of death from prostate cancer. Considering the significant heterogeneity among included studies, these findings require confirmation in future studies.

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Author notes

  1. S Zhong and X Yan: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Clinical Laboratory Science, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

    S Zhong, X Zhang & J Zhao

  2. Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    X Yan

  3. Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

    Y Wu

  4. Departments of Oncology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China

    L Chen

  5. Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

    J Tang

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  1. S Zhong
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Correspondence to J Zhao.

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Zhong, S., Yan, X., Wu, Y. et al. Body mass index and mortality in prostate cancer patients: a dose–response meta-analysis. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 19, 122–131 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2015.64

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