Anthropometric measurements and survival after a prostate cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the role of anthropometrics in prostate cancer survival is inconsistent. We examined the associations between anthropometric measures and survival outcomes.

METHODS: Men diagnosed with prostate cancer (n=987) were recruited into a population-based case-control study between 1997 and 2000 then a prospective cohort study between 2000 and 2002 where anthropometric measurements (weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio) were taken and participants were followed up to 19 years for survival outcomes. Cox proportional hazards were used to examine these associations.

RESULTS: Survival analyses suggested no clear pattern of associations between post-diagnosis anthropometric measurements and all-cause mortality, prostate-specific mortality, first recurrence/progression or new primary cancer.

CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a significant trend relating anthropometrics to survival outcomes after prostate cancer diagnosis. Continued assessment of objective measurements of body composition over the life-course is warranted to determine true associations between anthropometrics and survival after prostate cancer.