Samsung Medical Center study highlights weight management needs for cancer survivors

A research team led by Professors Shin Dong-wook and Choi Hye-rim at Samsung Medical Center’s Quality of Life Research Institute has released a study on weight management needs among cancer survivors. The study surveyed 2,024 survivors during the readjustment period (2 months to 2 years post-surgery) and published its findings in the journal ‘Cancer Medicine’.

Findings indicate that 36.8% of participants experienced weight loss, 48.9% maintained stable weight, and 14.3% experienced weight gain. Weight gain was particularly prevalent among women under 50 and patients with breast or gynecological cancers. Those who gained weight reported significantly higher difficulty in managing their weight (63.5%) compared to those who lost weight (29.6%) or maintained it (30.1%).

The barriers to management differ by group: weight loss patients cited a lack of nutritional and exercise information as the primary obstacle, while weight gain patients identified the difficulty of giving up the pleasure of eating (40.2%) and dislike of exercise (26.6%) as major factors.

Researchers suggest that weight gain survivors may benefit from digital healthcare solutions, such as mobile apps, to facilitate management. Additionally, Professor Shin Dong-wook noted that obesity treatments like GLP-1 agonists could be helpful, as they may assist in both weight reduction and improving cancer prognosis.