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According to U.S. researchers, obese people who undergo surgery for pancreatic cancer don’t live as long as people who are considered normal weight.

Dr. Jason B. Fleming, and colleagues from the University of Texas looked at data from  285 obese people who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer.

To be considered obese, patients had to have a body mass index or BMI of 30 or more.  Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.

Cancer was 12 times more likely to be found to have spread to the lymph nodes in patients with BMIs of 35 of more, compared to those with lower BMIs, the investigators report in the Archives of Surgery, reports Reuters.

For patients with a BMI higher than 35, average survival was 13.2 months, compared with 27.4 months for those with a BMI of less than 23.

The cancer recurred in 95% of patients with a BMI above 35, while those with lower BMIs had a recurrence rate of 61%, the researchers note.

“Data suggest that the negative influence of BMI of more than 35 on cancer-related endpoints is unrelated to the potential complexity of performing major oncologic surgery in obese patients,” the authors concluded.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and by the Various Donor Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research.