Waist circumference and risk of 23 site-specific cancers: a population-based cohort study of Korean adults
Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Large waist circumference (WC) is a risk factor for several site-specific cancers, but a large-scale systematic investigation across all common cancers adjusted for potential confounders has not been conducted. This study aimed to evaluate the possible links between WC and common cancers. We prospectively examined the association between WC and the risk of cancers in a 7-year cohort study of nearly 22.9 million Korean adults. Using the claims database merged with the national health check-up data, we fitted proportional hazard models to investigate associations between WC and 23 of the most common cancers, with adjustment for potential confounders, including body mass index (BMI). We also evaluated the modification of BMI on the relationships between WC and the incidence of cancer. A total of 769,871 cancer cases were identified. WC was positively associated with 18 of 23 cancers, and the effects varied substantially by site in each sex. The modification of BMI on the WC-cancer association also varied across the cancer site; in most cases it mitigated the association. For cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, oesophagus, lung, and premenopausal breast, the BMI adjustment reversed the association toward being positive (all P trend < 0.001). Central obesity, independent of general obesity, was associated with the risk of several cancers. The heterogeneity in the mediating effects of BMI suggests that different mechanisms are associated with different cancer sites. Based upon these findings, active strategies to monitor and prevent central obesity should be implemented.
Source: British Journal of Cancer
Authors: on behalf of the Taskforce Team of the Obesity Fact Sheet of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity, Kyu Rae Lee, Mi Hae Seo, Kyung Do Han, Jinhyung Jung, In Cheol Hwang
Language: English
Topic: Cancer Risks and Factors
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,190
OpenAlex ID: W2895821437