[Obesity and lung cancer: incidence and repercussions on epidemiology, pathology and treatments]
C Rivera1, N Pecuchet2, D Wermert3
1Service de chirurgie thoracique, université Paris Descartes, hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France.
Introduction:
Obesity and lung cancer are major public health problems. The purpose of this work is to review the data concerning this association.
Method:
We report clinical and epidemiological data on obesity and discuss the impact on the incidence of lung cancer, as well as the safety and efficiency of anti-tumor treatments.
Results:
Obesity does not contribute to the occurrence of lung cancer, unlike other malignancies. Patients may be more likely to undergo treatment at lower risk. Regarding surgery, obesity makes anaesthesia more difficult, increases the operative duration but does not increase postoperative morbidity and mortality. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy seem to be administered according to the same criteria as patients with normal weight. Paradoxically, survival rates of lung cancer are better in obese patients as well after surgery than after non-surgical treatment.
Conclusion:
Obesity is related to many neoplasms but not to lung cancer. Regarding long-term survival all treatments combined, it has a favorable effect: this is the "obesity paradox".
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