Anthropometric factors and risk of melanoma in women: A pooled analysis

Abstract

Anthropometric factors such as height, weight and body mass index are related to the occurrence of certain malignancies in women including cancers of the breast, ovary and endometrium. Several studies have investigated the relation between height and weight or body mass and the risk of cutaneous melanoma in women, but results have been inconsistent. We conducted a collaborative analysis of these factors using the original data from 8 case-control studies of melanoma in women (2,083 cases and 2,782 controls), with assessment of the potential confounding effects of socioeconomic, pigmentary and sun exposure-related factors. Women in the highest quartile of height had an increased risk of melanoma [pooled odds ratio (pOR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-1.6]. We also found an elevated risk associated with weight gain in adult life of 2 kg or more (pOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0). Stratifying by age at melanoma diagnosis (<50, ‡50 yr), we found this risk greater among women <50 yr of age. Associations were unaffected by adjustment for other known risk factors for melanoma. There was no evidence that the effects varied for different histologic subtypes of cutaneous melanoma. There was no association with body weight per se, body mass index, or body surface area, either recent or in young adulthood. In aggregate, data from these studies suggest that greater height and weight gain may be risk factors for cutaneous melanoma in women. ' 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: melanoma; anthropometry; weight; height; body mass index Anthropometric factors such as height, weight and body mass index are related to the occurrence of certain malignancies in women including cancers of the breast, ovary and endometrium. 1,2 Increasing height has been associated with increased risk of cancers of the breast and colon. 2,3 Obesity consistently has been associated with an increased risk of hormone-related cancers such as colon, breast (in postmenopausal women) and endometrium, and also kidney. 4 Evidence for an effect on risk of melanoma, however, remains inconclusive.Several studies have investigated the association between height and weight or body mass and the risk of melanoma in women. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Interpretation of the results has been hampered by differences in methodology and inconsistent approaches to defining overweight and obesity. Moreover, only a few studies have examined associations according to histologic subtype 14,15,25 or menopausal status, 7,8 which may be important given the possible link between reproductive and hormonal factors and risk of melanoma in women. 6,14,[26][27][28][29][30][31] The prevalence of overweight and obesity is growing dramatically in most parts of the world, and generally is higher in women than in men. 32 This is predicted to have major consequences on the incidence of obesity-related diseases. Quantitative assessment of the association between obesity and melanoma is thus important, and may provide further insight into disease etiolo...

Childhood Body Size and the Risk of Malignant Melanoma in Adulthood

“…However, in agreement with our results, the lack of analyses adjusting BSA for height could result in incorrect identification of BSA as an MM risk factor, even though it is in fact the height parameter of BSA that is the main driver of the positive association with MM risk. In regard to the BMI-MM association, results of previous studies contradict each other (12–16, 21, 28, 30), making it difficult to disentangle whether BMI is a risk factor for melanomagenesis. Nevertheless, sex-specific differences have been reported, with BMI being significantly associated with MM development in men but not in women, conceivably resulting from different sunbathing habits in obese women (12).…”

“…Several studies have found associations between greater adult height and MM (12, 13, 16–20), and generally height displays the strongest association with MM as compared with cancers at other anatomical sites (17–20). Similarly, although there are discrepancies in the literature (12–16, 28, 29), BSA is generally positively associated with MM development. However, in agreement with our results, the lack of analyses adjusting BSA for height could result in incorrect identification of BSA as an MM risk factor, even though it is in fact the height parameter of BSA that is the main driver of the positive association with MM risk.…”

Pooled cohort study on height and risk of cancer and cancer death

“…Possible explanations for this association are increased skin surface or higher naevi count in taller individuals, or differences in distribution of other risk factors such as sun exposure [30]. However, adjusting for physical appearance and sun exposure-related factors associated with risk of melanoma did not affect the risk estimates for height and risk in one pooled analysis of 2,083 female cases of malignant melanoma [10]. …”

“…Adult height, determined by genetics and by nutrition in childhood, has been associated with an increased risk of some cancers such as cancer of the prostate [1], breast [2], colorectum [3], ovary [4, 5], pancreas [6], kidney [7], testis [8], endometrium [9], malignant melanoma [2, 10, 11], and with lymphohematopoietic malignancies [12]. However, there are only a few studies on all cancer sites, [2, 13–15] and only one of these studies included men as well as women [13].…”

Body mass index, height and early-onset basal cell carcinoma in a case-control study

“…Similarly, evidence from epidemiologic research regarding the association between BMI and NMSC combined or only BCC is mixed, with several studies finding an inverse relationship [13-18], and other studies being null [19-22]. Some studies of melanoma [12, 21, 23] and one of BCC [21] have also investigated body surface area (BSA) as an alternate anthropometric measure, with results generally mirroring the BMI findings in each population.…”