The risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer can be worsened by being an unhealthy weight and having a large waistline, a study has found.

Researchers found that every 10cm increase in waist circumference can increase a man’s chances of developing fatal prostate cancer by 18 per cent.

Similarly, the risk of being killed by a fatal strand of the disease shoots up if the man has a high body mass index (BMI), the report says.

The study, by scientists at the University of Oxford, examined more than 140,000 men with a mean age of 52 years, across eight countries.

Men who have greater adiposity have an elevated risk of high-grade prostate cancer and prostate cancer death

After 14 years, some 7,000 incidents of prostate cancer were identified, of which 934 were fatal. It also found that high-grade prostate cancer, an aggressive form of the illness, was exacerbated by obesity.

There was a 13 per cent increase in the risk of developing it for every 10cm of waistline gained.

The study, which was funded by Cancer Research UK, said: “The findings from this large prospective study show that the association between body size and prostate cancer is complex and varies by disease aggressiveness; men who have greater adiposity have an elevated risk of high-grade prostate cancer and prostate cancer death.”

“Our results are in line with health advice for other non-communicable diseases. Men should try to maintain a healthy weight.”

The research was presented at the European Obesity Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.