Anthropometric measures and bladder cancer risk: A prospective study in the EPIC cohort

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Anthropometric measures have been related to risk of several cancers. For bladder cancer, however, evidence is sparse. Comparability of existing studies is hampered by use of different obesity-measures, inadequate control for smoking, and few female cases. This study examined associations between height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, waist-height ratio, body mass index (BMI), recalled weight at age 20 and bladder cancer, and investigated effect modification by age, tumor aggressiveness and smoking. The study was conducted in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, in 390,878 participants. Associations were calculated using Cox Proportional Hazards Models. During follow-up, 1,391 bladder cancers (1,018 male; 373 female) occurred. Height was unrelated to bladder cancer in both genders. We found a small but significant positive association with weight [1.04 (1.01-1.07) per 5 kilo], BMI [1.05 (1.02-1.08) per 2 units], waist circumference [1.04 (1.01-1.08) per 5 cm], waist-hip ratio (1.07 (1.02-1.13) per 0.05 unit] and waist-height ratio [1.07 (1.01-1.13) per 0.05 unit] in men. Stratification by smoking status confined associations in men to former smokers. In never smokers, we found no significant associations, suggesting residual confounding by smoking. Results did not differ with tumor aggressiveness and age. Residual analyses on BMI/waist circumference showed a significantly higher disease risk with BMI in men (p = 0.01), but no association with waist circumference. In conclusion, in this large study, height was unrelated to bladder cancer, whereas overweight was associated with a slightly higher bladder cancer risk in men. This association may, however, be distorted by residual confounding by smoking.

Source: International Journal of Cancer

DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28936

Institutions: Danish Cancer Society, Centre international de recherche sur le cancer, University Medical Center Utrecht, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Imperial College London, Aarhus University, Inserm, Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Italian institute for Genomic Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Gobierno del Principado de Asturias, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Andalusian School of Public Health, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, University of Cambridge, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Academy of Athens, Hellenic Health Foundation, Harvard University, Istituto per lo Studio e la Prevenzione Oncologica, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Azienda Usl 8 Arezzo, Azienda Ospedaliera Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Piedmont Reference Center for Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention, University of Turin, Federico II University Hospital, University of Naples Federico II, Skåne University Hospital, Region Skåne, Umeå University, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Registry of Norway, Folkhälsans Forskningscentrum, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Language: English

Topic: Cancer Risks and Factors

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W1886815947