Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Sep 1;11(4):e2021106.
doi: 10.5826/dpc.1104a106. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Body Mass Index and Melanoma Prognosis

Nicoletta Cassano  1   2 , Stefano Caccavale  3 , Gino A Vena  1   2 , Giuseppe Argenziano  3
Affiliations
Review

Body Mass Index and Melanoma Prognosis

Nicoletta Cassano et al. Dermatol Pract Concept. .

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity has been suggested as a risk factor in the progression of malignancies, including melanoma. Most studies defined obesity using body mass index (BMI), although the index is considered an imperfect measure of body composition.

Objective: The aim of this article is to examine whether BMI can impact on the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma, regardless of anti-tumor therapy. The relationship between BMI and specific prognostic factors in melanoma patients has been reviewed.

Methods: Literature search was conducted on PubMed using the terms "melanoma" and "body mass index" or "obesity". We selected articles, published up to 30 November 2020, examining the prognostic aspects of melanoma. Articles evaluating the risk and incidence of melanoma were excluded as well as studies regarding morbidity and complications following surgical procedures, or those performed in metastatic melanoma patients treated with anti-tumor therapies.

Results: Mixed results have emerged from studies assessing the clinical outcomes in melanoma patients in relation to BMI. More consistent data seem to support the relationship between BMI and Breslow thickness.

Conclusions: Studies that focus specifically on the link between obesity and melanoma prognosis are limited; further research is needed to deepen our knowledge on this link.

Keywords: Breslow thickness; body mass index; cutaneous melanoma; obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

References

    1. Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Mantzoros CS, Dalamaga M, et al. Obesity and cancer risk: Emerging biological mechanisms and perspectives. Metabolism. 2019;92:121–135. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.11.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bandera EV, Fay SH, Giovannucci E, et al. World Cancer Research Fund International Continuous Update Project Panel. The use and interpretation of anthropometric measures in cancer epidemiology: A perspective from the world cancer research fund international continuous update project. Int J Cancer. 2016;139(11):2391–2397. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30248. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hopkins BD, Goncalves MD, Cantley LC, et al. Obesity and cancer mechanisms: Cancer metabolism. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(35):4277–4283. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.67.9712. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Smith LK, Arabi S, Lelliott EJ, McArthur GA, Sheppard KE, et al. Obesity and the impact on cutaneous melanoma: Friend or foe? Cancers (Basel) 2020;12(6):1583. doi: 10.3390/cancers12061583. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Clement E, Lazar I, Muller C, Nieto L, et al. Obesity and melanoma: could fat be fueling malignancy? Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2017;30(3):294–306. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.12584. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources