Japanese men, whether overweight or slim, have a similar chance of developing prostate cancer, a health ministry research team reported Sunday in a finding that conflicts with U.S. and European studies, which mainly blame obesity for the prevalence of the disease.
The incidence of prostate cancer in both Europe and the United States is nearly 10 times as high as that in Japan. The latest study suggests Japanese patients might be more affected by other factors, including dietary habits or hormone concentration.
The research team, affiliated with the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, followed the health conditions of 50,000 Japanese men aged between 40 and 69 in 10 Japanese regions for up to 13 years from 1990, according to the report, published in the British Journal of Cancer.
The study said 311 men developed prostate cancer. Studying possible links between their body shape and risks of developing the disease, the researchers found no difference between the risk for people with a high body mass index, or BMI, and the risk for those with a low BMI. BMI calculates body mass according to the relationship between weight and height.