Association between recent weigth loss and cancer diagnoses among participants of two prospective cohort studies

Loss of body weight might be a sign of underlying cancer. Analysis of participants of the prospective Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study investigated the association of weight loss within the past 2 years and the risk of a cancer diagnosis during the subsequent 12 months. Among 157 434 health professionals followed up for a mean of 28 years (total follow-up 1.64 million person-years), recent weight loss of greater than 10.0% of body weight was associated with an increased rate of cancer during the next 12 months versus those without recent weight loss (1362 cancer cases per 100 000 person-years versus 869 cancer cases per 100 000 person-years, respectively; p<0.001). The authors conclude that participants with weight loss within the prior two years had a significantly higher risk of cancer during the subsequent 12 months compared with those without recent weight loss.