Assessment between Body Mass Index and the most prevalent malignant neoplasms in a Philanthropic Hospital in Vitória, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between Body Mass Index and malignant neoplasms in a philanthropic hospital in Vitória, Brazil. Method: This cross-sectional study included 1,325 patients diagnosed with cancer between 2021 and 2023. Body Mass Index was categorized as normal weight, overweight, and obesity. Descriptive analyses were performed, followed by Pearson’s χ² test and Poisson regression with robust variance for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In the multivariate analysis, higher prevalence of prostate and breast cancer was observed among individuals with overweight, and higher prevalence of endometrial, breast, kidney, and gallbladder cancers, as well as lower prevalence of oral cavity and cervical cancer, among individuals with obesity. Associations between Body Mass Index categories and malignant neoplasms were also identified: oral cavity, esophageal, and lung cancers in normal-weight individuals, colorectal and prostate cancers in overweight and endometrial, thyroid, breast, ovarian, kidney, and gallbladder cancers in obesity. Conclusion: Excess body weight was associated with greater prevalence of several malignant tumors, reinforcing the role of Body Mass Index as a relevant epidemiological indicator in cancer patients.