From the Research
Relationship Between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Fat Percentage in Cancer Survivors
- The American Cancer Society (ACS) has not provided a direct statement on the relationship between BMI and body fat percentage in cancer survivors, but various studies have explored this topic 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- A study published in Heliyon found that body fat percentage (BFP) was associated with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), while BMI was not 1.
- Another study published in Clinical & translational oncology found that being overweight or obese was a risk factor for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in breast cancer patients, but not for progression-free survival (PFS) 2.
- A cohort study published in Annals of internal medicine found that low BMI and high body fat percentage were independently associated with increased mortality in adults aged 40 years or older 3.
- A pan-cancer cohort study published in Innovation found that a high BMI was associated with reduced all-cause mortality in patients with incident cancers, with the lowest risk found at a BMI of 29.6-34.2 4.
- A study published in Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention found that BMI was not associated with the outcome of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy 5.
Key Findings
- BFP may be a more sensitive risk factor for certain types of cancer than BMI 1.
- High BMI may be associated with improved survival in cancer patients, but this relationship is complex and may vary depending on the type of cancer and other factors 2, 4.
- Low BMI and high body fat percentage may be associated with increased mortality in adults aged 40 years or older 3.
- BMI may not be a significant predictor of outcome in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with chemotherapy 5.
Implications
- Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between BMI, body fat percentage, and cancer survival 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Healthcare providers should consider using BFP measurements in addition to BMI when assessing cancer risk and survival 1.
- The findings of these studies may have implications for the development of personalized treatment plans and lifestyle interventions for cancer patients 2, 4.