Journal of Thoracic Oncology
Journal of Thoracic Oncology
5 years ago

Obesity paradox in lung cancer prognosis: evolving biological insights and clinical implications.

Zheng X, Zhang X, Shao H, Liu Y
The survival rate of lung cancer remains low despite the progress of surgery and chemotherapy. With the increasing comorbidity of obesity in lung cancer patients, new challenges emerge in the management of this patient population. A key issue of interest is the prognostic effect of obesity on surgical and chemotherapeutical outcomes in lung cancer patients, which is fueled by the growing observation of survival benefits in overweight or obese patients. This unexpected inverse relation between obesity and lung cancer mortality, called 'obesity paradox', remains poorly understood. In recent years, evolving insights into the heterogeneity of obesity phenotypes and associated biological connections with lung cancer progression may help explain some of the seemingly paradoxical relationship, and well-designed clinical studies looking at the causal role of obesity-associated molecules are expected. Here, we examine potential biological mechanisms behind the protective effects of obesity in lung cancer. We highlight the need to clarify the clinical implications of this relation towards an updated intervention strategy in the clinical care of lung cancer patients with obesity.

Publisher URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28757418

DOI: PubMed:28757418

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