A recent study has highlighted the significant impact of obesity at the time of cancer diagnosis on the survival rates of children. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 390 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight in 2022, with 160 million living with obesity. Obesity is a known risk factor for various non-communicable diseases, including cancer, and this study underscores its detrimental effect on childhood cancer survival.

The study, conducted by Thai Hoa Tran from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine in Montreal, Canada, analyzed data from 11,291 children newly diagnosed with cancer between 2001 and 2020 across Canada. Of these children, 10.5 percent were obese at the time of diagnosis.

The findings revealed that children with obesity had lower rates of 5-year event-free survival (77.5 percent compared to 79.6 percent) and overall survival (83.0 percent compared to 85.9 percent) compared to those without obesity. After adjusting for various factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, and cancer type, the study showed that obesity at diagnosis was associated with a 16 percent increased risk of cancer relapse and a 29 percent higher risk of death.

The impact of obesity was particularly noticeable in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors, where the prognosis was significantly worsened. This study emphasizes the urgent need to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, as it has far-reaching health consequences, including poor cancer outcomes.

The researchers hope these findings will encourage further exploration into strategies to reduce the adverse effects of obesity on cancer survival in future trials.