The Impact of Obesity on Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness: A Retrospective Analysis in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a growing world concern, with one-third of the world’s population estimated to be obese or overweight. Obesity affects all age groups, both genders, and different ethnicities at variable rates with an increase in prevalence since 1980 having doubled. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate obesity as a potential risk factor for the aggressiveness of prostate cancer among male patients in selected hospitals within Kiambu County i.e. Gatundu Level 5 Hospital, Kiambu Level 5 Hospital and Thika Level 5 Hospital. Research Methods: Purposive and convenience sampling methods were employed to select patients from three hospitals: Gatundu Level 5, Kiambu Level 5, and Thika Level 5 Hospital. The study employed a convenience and purposive sampling technique to select the sample for this research. An analytical retrospective research design was used to analyze the retrospective aspect of obesity on PC among patients. Results: This present study involved 256 patients with prostate cancer. The findings, it was revealed that there was a high level of prostate cancer aggression among men in Kiambu County, cumulative of 52.9%. The findings revealed that age (p=0.003), marital status (p=0.042), length of diagnosis (p=0.005), and stage of cancer (p=0.000) of the patients significantly influenced the aggression of prostate cancer (p < 0.05) and more than 40 percent of those with PC were above 45 years. There was a significant association between prostate cancer aggression and obesity with (p<  0.05), i.e. the association between PC aggression with ever being obese (p=0.018), patient still obese (p=0.0111), obesity contributing to PC symptoms (p=0.003), difficulty managing PC with obesity (p=0.017), and deaths due to obesity (p=0.000). Conclusion: Understanding the implications of high aggression in prostate cancer can help guide clinical decision-making and patient education, emphasizing the importance of personalized approaches in managing this disease.