Obesity Increases Prostate Cancer Risk

Obesity may increase risk for prostate cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology. Researchers monitored cancer incidence rates from 3,398 African-American men and 22,673 non-Hispanic white men as part of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) for almost six years. African-American men with a higher BMI had up to four times the risk for prostate cancer, compared with thinner men. While the exact mechanism behind obesity and prostate cancer development remains unknown, the study authors emphasize obesity’s link to inflammation, insulin resistance, and the development of prostate-specific antigens.