Are Cell Number and Cell Proliferation Risk Factors for Cancer?1

Albanês, Demetrius; Winick, Myron

doi:10.1093/jnci/80.10.772

Cited by 250 publications

(168 citation statements)

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“…The first is that height is directly correlated with the number of cells that can undergo malignant transformation. 51 For melanoma, this could be related to an increased area of skin and number of melanocytes at risk. We found no association, however, between BSA and risk of melanoma, and thus increased skin surface area is unlikely to be driving the association with height.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Olsen

Green

Zens

et al. 2007

Intl Journal of Cancer

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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...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Olsen

Green

Zens

et al. 2007

Intl Journal of Cancer

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“…3,36,37 Estrogens are important factors that influence mammary gland growth and development. 6 Larger breasts may therefore represent higher exposures to estrogens.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1][2][3] Following this theory, breast cancer risk might be positively correlated with the total number of mammary gland cells and more generally, mammary gland mass. [4][5][6] Because a large number of susceptible cells should correspond to increased risk, breast size, as a proxy for mammary gland mass, could serve as a plausible risk factor for breast cancer.…”

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confidence: 99%

A prospective study of breast size and premenopausal breast cancer incidence

Kusano

Trichopoulos

Terry

et al. 2005

Intl Journal of Cancer

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Studies of the association between breast size, as a proxy for mammary gland mass, and breast cancer risk have given equivocal results. Most have been case-control studies with limited statistical power. We conducted a prospective analysis of the relation between breast size as measured by self-reported bra cup size and breast cancer risk among premenopausal women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II. Bra cup size at age 20 was assessed among 89,268 premenopausal women aged 29-47 in 1993. Subsequent incident cases of invasive breast cancer were assessed until 2001. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for potential confounders and risk factors for breast cancer. During 622,732 person-years of follow-up, 803 premenopausal women were newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. For women with a BMI below 25 kg/m 2 , those with a bra cup size of ''D or larger'' had a significantly higher incidence of breast cancer than women who reported ''A or smaller'' (covariate adjusted HR 5 1.80; 95% CI 1.13-2.88; p trend 5 0.01). There was no significant association among women with a BMI of 25 kg/m 2 or higher. Stratifying by BMI at age 18 at a cutoff point of 21 kg/m 2 gave similar results. Larger bra cup size at a young age is associated with a higher incidence of premenopausal breast cancer, though this association is limited to leaner women. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Both cell number and rate of cell division have been proposed to predict overall cancer risk. [1][2][3] Following this theory, breast cancer risk might be positively correlated with the total number of mammary gland cells and more generally, mammary gland mass. [4][5][6] Because a large number of susceptible cells should correspond to increased risk, breast size, as a proxy for mammary gland mass, could serve as a plausible risk factor for breast cancer. Several indirect lines of evidence support the theory that breast size may influence breast cancer risk: (i) Breast cancer occurs more frequently in the left breast, 7 and the left breast is typically slightly larger than the right breast, 8 and (ii) breast cancer is overwhelmingly more common in women than in men.In 1969, Wynder noted that studies of breast cancer in Japanese women indicated that subjects with breast cancer had larger breasts than controls. 9 Several studies have indicated that women who undergo breast augmentation surgery have a decreased risk of breast cancer, 10,11 presumably because these women compose a group of smaller-breasted, lower-risk individuals. Women who undergo surgical reduction mammoplasty, which reduces breast size, also experience lower than expected rates of breast cancer. 12 Ecological evidence supports the association between breast size and breast cancer risk. On average, breast size is smaller in women in Asian countries compared to those in western countries, and correspondingly, breast cancer is much less common in Asia. 13 With respect to male breast cancer, patients suffering from ...

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“…One possibility is that taller people may have longer intestines (Hirsch et al, 1956) and have a greater rate of cell division within the tissue (Albanes and Winick, 1988); thus, more colon cells may be at risk. Greater exposure to mitogenic factors, such as growth hormone, insulin, insulin-like growth factors, and sex steroids, could also result in increased cancer risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Height, weight, and alcohol consumption in relation to the risk of colorectal cancer in Japan: a prospective study

et al. 2003

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Colorectal cancer incidence in relation to body size, smoking, and alcohol consumption was studied in a cohort of 29 051 city residents of Japan. In 1992, each participant completed a self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, drinking, cigarette smoking, diet, exercise, and reproductive and medical histories. The response rate was 92%. From 1993 to 2000, 161 men and 134 women were diagnosed with colorectal cancer at two major hospitals in the city. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by using Cox proportional hazard models. A positive relation between height and colorectal cancer was seen in both sexes, controlling for age, body mass index (BMI), smoking and drinking habits, and years of education. The findings were statistically significant only for men (relative risk 2.13 for the tallest compared with the shortest height tertile; 95% confidence interval ¼ 1.26 -3.58). Body mass index was also associated positively with colon cancer risk for men, whereas the pattern for women was not clear. There was a positive association between pack-years of cigarette smoking and the risk of rectal cancer in men. A positive dose -response relation between alcohol consumption and colon cancer risk was observed for men and women.

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Are Cell Number and Cell Proliferation Risk Factors for Cancer?1

Cited by 250 publications

References 0 publications

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

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

A prospective study of breast size and premenopausal breast cancer incidence

Height, weight, and alcohol consumption in relation to the risk of colorectal cancer in Japan: a prospective study

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