Clinical Scorecard: Impact of Healthcare Provider Guidance on Weight Management Efforts in Survivors of Cancers Linked to Obesity
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Obesity-associated cancers
Key Mechanisms
Clinician counseling and its impact on weight loss attempts
Target Population
Adults with obesity and a history of obesity-associated cancer
Care Setting
Survivorship care
Key Highlights
Approximately two-thirds of cancer survivors in the US have overweight or obesity.
Counseling did not occur more frequently among cancer survivors compared to adults with obesity.
Survivors had a lower likelihood of attempting weight loss compared to nonsurvivors.
Counseling was associated with a greater probability of weight loss attempts among cancer survivors.
Limited clinician awareness of obesity as a modifiable risk factor for cancer recurrence.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Identify obesity in cancer survivors as a significant health concern.
Management
Incorporate weight management counseling into survivorship care.
Monitoring & Follow-up
Regularly assess weight management efforts and outcomes in cancer survivors.
Risks
Recognize the potential for recurrence and poorer survival associated with obesity.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Adults aged 20 years or older with obesity and a history of obesity-associated cancer.
Counseling may enhance weight loss attempts among survivors.
Clinical Best Practices
Provide systematic clinician counseling for weight management.
Acknowledge the teachable moment post-treatment for health-promoting advice.
Related Resources & Content
The ASCO Post, 2014 -- Guides for Oncology Providers and Patients Now Available
The ASCO Post, 2015 -- Obesity and Cancer Bundle: Oncology Provider Guides and Patient Booklets
The ASCO Post, 2017 -- Gauging the Impact of Weight Loss Intervention on Breast Cancer Outcomes
NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Survivorship, Version 2.2025 - PubMed
Impact of a Weight Loss Intervention on 1-Year Weight Change in Women With Stage II/III Breast Cancer: Secondary Analysis of the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial | Trials | JAMA Oncology
The ASCO Post — Can Weight Loss During Treatment and Follow-up Affect Breast Cancer Outcomes?
NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Survivorship, Version 2.2025 - PubMed
Impact of a Weight Loss Intervention on 1-Year Weight Change in Women With Stage II/III Breast Cancer: Secondary Analysis of the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial | Trials | JAMA Oncology | JAMA Network
Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity‐related cancer Risk and Survival: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews With Meta‐analysis of Observational Studies - PMC
