A new study has suggested that obese people who develop cancer of the colon are rendered a high vulnerability of dying from the disease or suffering a recurrence of it.

The data reveals Ireland to have the highest rate of colon (bowel) cancer mortality in Western Europe, while, one in four Irish adults are now thought to be obese.

This latest study from the US is reported to include 4,381 patients suffering from stage II or stage III colon cancer who had undergone chemotherapy. Among whom, 20% were obese.

The researchers discovered that obesity was highly associated with poorer overall survival, specifically in men.

Moreover, men with the highest body mass index (BMI) are revealed to possess a 35% increased risk of falling in prey to colon cancer compared to normal weight patients.

However, the weaker effect in women is consistent with studies that have pointed a lower risk of developing colon cancer in obese women compared to obese men.

According to Prof Sinicrope, quoted, "Our study in colon cancer patients shows that obesity predicts a poorer prognosis after the cancer is surgically removed."