Objective In this study, we evaluated the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the quality of life of ovarian cancer survivors.

Methods Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust between January 2008 and May 2013 were identified. Ovarian cancer survivors were invited to participate by completing the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 (quality of life) questionnaire. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to determine associations between BMI and quality-of-life outcomes.

Results A total of 176 ovarian cancer survivors were invited to participate, of which 133 were eligible for this study. In total, 81 ovarian cancer survivors (60.4%) completed the questionnaire, of which 26 responders (32.1%) were overweight (BMI, 25–29.9 kg/m²) and 27 (33.3%) were obese (BMI, ≥30 kg/m²). Increasing BMI was significantly associated with poorer quality-of-life outcomes in terms of physical functioning and emotional functioning, and this effect persisted for physical functioning after multiple regression analysis.

Conclusions Increasing BMI is associated with poorer quality-of-life outcomes in terms of physical and emotional functioning in ovarian cancer survivors. Further research is needed to evaluate the association between BMI and quality of life from diagnosis to survivorship to develop novel interventions.