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General and abdominal obesity trajectories across adulthood, and risk of prostate cancer: results from the PROtEuS study, Montreal, Canada

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Abstract

Purpose

Greater body fatness is a probable cause of advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Body fat distribution and timing of exposure may be relevant. We investigated associations between body size trajectories and PCa incidence in a population-based case–control study in Montreal, Canada.

Methods

Cases (n = 1,931), aged ≤ 75 years, were diagnosed with PCa in 2005–2009; 1,994 controls were selected from the electoral list. Interviews were conducted to assess body mass index (BMI) and Stunkard’s silhouette at ages 20, 40, 50, 60 years, and before interview. Current waist and hip circumferences were measured, and a predictive model estimated waist circumference in the past. BMI and waist circumference trajectories were determined to identify subgroups. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between anthropometric indicators and PCa.

Results

Subjects with a current BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 had a lower risk of overall PCa (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59–0.85). Associations with adult BMI followed similar trends for less and more aggressive tumors, with stronger inverse relationships in early adulthood. Contrastingly, current waist circumference ≥ 102 cm was associated with elevated risk of high-grade PCa (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03–1.71). Men with increasing BMI or waist circumference adult trajectories had a lower risk of PCa, especially low-grade, than those in the normal-stable range. This was especially evident among men in the obese-increase group for BMI and waist circumference.

Conclusion

Abdominal obesity increased the risk of aggressive PCa. The inverse relationship between body size trajectories and PCa may reflect PSA hemodilution, lower detection, and/or a true etiological effect.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available for confidentiality reasons but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported financially through grants from the Canadian Cancer Society (13149,19500,19864,19865,705562), the Cancer Research Society, the Fonds de recherche du Québec—Santé (FRQS), the FRQS-RRSE, the Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation du Québec, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CCP-155423). Marie-Elise Parent held career awards from the FRQS. Eric Vallières and Miceline Mésidor held doctoral training awards from the FRQS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, University of Quebec, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada

    Eric Vallières, Miceline Mésidor, Hugues Richard & Marie-Élise Parent

  2. School of Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, 7101 avenue du Parc, Montreal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada

    Eric Vallières, Miceline Mésidor & Marie-Élise Parent

  3. School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada

    Marie-Hélène Roy-Gagnon

  4. University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, 900 Saint-Denis, Tour Viger, Pavillon R, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada

    Miceline Mésidor & Marie-Élise Parent

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  1. Eric Vallières
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Contributions

EV devised and conducted the analysis, interpreted the results, and prepared the manuscript. M-EP designed and conducted the PROtEuS study. MM and HR contributed to different aspects of the analysis. M-EP and M-HR-G contributed to the interpretation of data and to the writing of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Marie-Élise Parent.

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The content of the manuscript represents original work and has not been copyrighted or previously published, and has not been (and will not be) copyrighted, submitted or published elsewhere while acceptance by Cancer Causes & Control is under consideration. All authors have directly participated in the planning, execution, and analysis of the study. They have read and approved the manuscript, they agree that the work is ready for submission to the journal, and they accept responsibility for the manuscript’s content.

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Vallières, E., Mésidor, M., Roy-Gagnon, MH. et al. General and abdominal obesity trajectories across adulthood, and risk of prostate cancer: results from the PROtEuS study, Montreal, Canada. Cancer Causes Control 32, 653–665 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-021-01419-z

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