Translate

Friday 26 July 2013

A Study Finds - Women's Height Linked to Cancer Risk



According to a new research taller postmenopausal woman have greater her risk for developing cancer. Researchers found height is linked to cancers of the breast, colon, endometrium, kidney, ovary, rectum, and thyroid, as well as to multiple myeloma and melanoma.


Furthermore, researchers were surprised at the number of cancer sites that were positively associated with height than were associated with numerous other factors linked to cancer, such as body mass index [BMI].

Senior study author Dr. Thomas Rohan, chair and professor of epidemiology and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, told FoxNews.com that, they didn't find much difference in heavy or lighter women, so it’s a pretty consistent association right across the spectrum.

They studied for 12 years on around 20,928 postmenopausal women. They found that for every 10-centimeter (3.94 inches) increase in height, there was a 13 percent increase in risk of developing any cancer, for example, a woman who was 5 feet 10 inches tall would have a 13 percent higher risk for cancer than a woman who was approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall. 

Some cancer were more strongly associated with height than other. Among specific cancers, there was a 13 percent to 17 percent increase in the risk of getting melanoma and cancers of the breast, ovary, endometrium, and colon. There was a 23 percent to 29 percent increase in the risk of developing cancers of the kidney, rectum, thyroid, and blood.

Of the 19 cancers studied, none showed a negative association with height.

Researchers said that some genetic variations associated with height are also linked to cancer risk. They also said that another potential explanation may be related to environmental factors, such as childhood nutrition. Increased energy intake during childhood is thought to influence adult height and may also impact certain systems in the body. Researchers need to better understand the link exists.

Researchers will continue to explore the link between height and cancer, as they search for some of the underlying biological mechanisms that may be responsible for the correlation.

The study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

No comments:

Post a Comment