Obesity could help explain sex-based survival differences in lung cancer

Summary: For over 30 years, doctors have known that women with lung cancer usually live longer than men. But a new study from Finland found a surprising twist: body weight changes the game!

When patients have a high BMI (meaning they are overweight or obese), the survival gap between men and women shrinks. In fact, heavier patients often had better survival rates, especially with a specific type of lung cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. This is sometimes called the "obesity paradox." Researchers say doctors need to track BMI more closely to figure out exactly why extra weight seems to help these patients fight off the disease.

Source: rssapp-healio-com-hematology-oncology URL: healio.com/news/hematology-oncology/20260520/obesity-could-help-explain-sexbased-survival-differences-in-lung-cancer (opens in new tab)