McGill-Harvard study: weight linked to prostate cancer death

Excess bodyweight and high plasma concentrations of C-peptide (a marker of insulin secretion) in men who are subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer are reliable indicators that they are more likely to die from their disease than those with lower levels, according to fndings from a substudy of the Physician’s Health Study in an Article published early online and in the November edition of The Lancet Oncology. The study was a collaboration between Dr Michael Pollak of McGill and Dr Jing Ma of Harvard, and colleagues. "Men living in affluent societies are facing two epidemics - obesity and prostate cancer," says Dr. Pollak. "This research provides further impetus for men to avoid becoming overweight by improved physical activity and diet."