Effect of increased body mass index on the risk of prostate cancer: Systematic review

Abstract

Introduction; Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.A variety of factors influence the progression of prostate cancer.Body mass index (BMI) has been associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.This review focuses on summarizing recent research examining the relationship between elevated body mass index and the risk of developing prostate cancer.Methods: A systematic literature search from 2000 up to April 2025 was conducted via PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases with the following keywords ("body mass index," OR "BMI," OR "obesity," OR "overweight," AND "Prostate cancer," OR "prostate carcinoma").Results: A total of 908 articles were identified in the databases, but only 8 fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in the final review.Seven studies showed a positive association between increased body mass index and the risk of prostate cancer.In contrast, only one study found a decreased risk of prostate cancer among obese patients.Conclusions: An increased level of BMI was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.