Associations of obesity, abdominal neoplasms and comorbidities

Background. Multiple recent studies suggest that at least 5–10 % of all malignancies are attributed to metabolic disorders and obesity. Excessive weight may also significantly influence outcomes and aggravate treatment-related adverse effects and patients’ follow-up. The purpose of the study was to clarify the clinical and pathogenetic significance of excessive body weight and comorbidities in patients with abdominal malignant neoplasms. Materials and methods. This cohort-based observational research involves a total of 952 patients (mean age 62.35 ± 11.57 years) with abdominal malignancies divided into study (23.95 %, body mass index ≥ 26 kg/m2) and control (76.05 %, body mass index ≤ 25 kg/m2) groups. The diagnosis, staging, prevalence of the process, and concomitant pathology, several anthropometric and statistical parameters were determined, and treatment outcomes (duration of the postoperative period, incidence of postoperative complications) were assessed. Results. No significant differences in the staging of abdominal malignancies were identified between study and control groups. Relative fat mass was significantly higher in study group compared to controls — 33.56 ± 1.01 % vs. 27.01 ± 2.25 %, p = 0.009. Edmonton Obesity Staging System showed significantly higher stages for study group as well. The mean Charlson comorbidity index in the study group was significantly higher (p = 0.005), especially in male population. Obesity as a factor influencing the incidence of postoperative complications showed prevalence of 0.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51–0.78), sensitivity of 0.88 (95% CI 0.71–0.96), and specificity of 0.65 (95% CI 0.39–0.85). Conclusions. Excessive body weight is significant factor aggravating condition of patients with abdominal malignancies, increasing the risk of postoperative complications by 1.29–6.96 times.