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# Obesity, type 2 diabetes boost high-grade prostate cancer risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/obesity_type-2_diabetes_prostate_cancer_0816120654/
- Published: 2012-08-16T19:52:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:53:17.000Z
- Description: Among 2,038 men with PSA below 10 ng/mL at a Tokyo hospital, those with both obesity and type 2 diabetes were four times as likely as diabetic men without obesity to have high-grade prostate cancer. Diabetes alone showed no significant link to overall prostate cancer risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Disease, Health News, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Thursday Aug 16, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- A study released in the June 2012 issue of Urology suggests that obesity may increase the odds for a male with type 2 diabetes mellitus to develop advanced or high grade prostate cancer.

H. Fukushima of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Graduate School in Tokyo, Japan and colleagues conducted the study and found that of men who had his prostate specific antigen (PSA) level lower than 10 ng/mL, those who had both obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus were four times as likely as those who had diabetes, but no obesity, to develop high grade prostate cancer.

The study involved a total 2038 patients with a PSA level less than 10 ng/mL who came to the authors' hospital to receive initial extended biopy for diagnosis of prostate cancer. Patients reported their history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and status of obesity. Each individual's cancer grade or stages was classified according to the Gleason score (GS): low-grade (GS less than or equal to 6), intermediate grade (GS 7) and high grade (GS 8 to 10).

Of all patients, 606 had obesity and 213 had type 2 diabetes mellitus and 836 patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer. After statistic analysis, the researchers did not find any significant association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and with risk of overall prostate cancer or the risk of low-grade, intermediate grade or high grade disease. 

It should be noted that this finding of no significant association did not mean that it has proved that there is absolutely no association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer risk. One possibility, which could be false, is that there is an association, but the study could not find it because of the study limitation.

Nevertheless, of men who had obesity, men who had type 2 diabetes mellitus were 19 percent, 100 percent and 300 percent more likely to develop low grade, intermediate grade and high grade prostate cancer, respectively, compared to those who did not have diabetes.

On the other hand, among men who did not have obesity, those who had type 2 diabetes mellitus were not at higher risk for prostate cancer of any sort, compared to those who did not have diabetes.

The researchers concluded type 2 diabetes mellitus "was associated with more aggressive PCa (prostate cancer) detection among Japanese obese patients with gray-zone PSA levels undergoing extended biopsy."

Prostate cancer statistics: In the United States, an estimated 220,000 men are diagnosed each year with prostate cancer, which is generally non-aggressive. Still the disease and complications of the disease and treatment kill about 30,000 each year in the country.

Type 2 diabetes are also very common in the United States. 24 million Americans are believed to live with diabetes. Check out some good medical journals for more type 2 diabetes information including treatment, diet and symptoms among other things.

Obesity Statistics: Obesity prevalence in the US is more than one third among the U.S. adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.