The Taller the Height, The Higher the Risk of Cancer

Did you know that for every extra 10 cm of height, there is an increased risk of cancer in women by 18% and 11% in men?

Researchers from the University of Stockholm and Karolinska Institute studied 5.5 million women and men in Sweden. The researchers selected participants based on the year they were born, between 1938 and 1991, and their height, between 100 cm and 225 cm. Out of all the past studies conducted to find a correlation between height and cancer, this is the largest.

The researchers kept track of individuals since they were 20 until 2011. They discovered a connection between height and cancer, stating that the risk of cancer increases by 11% in men and 18% in women for every extra 10 cm of height. The gender that is at most risk is females, especially taller ones, as the risk of developing breast cancer increases by 20%. The risk of cancer in taller people is higher as they have more stem cells, which increases the likelihood for transformations leading to malignant change.

The probability of developing melanoma increases by about 30% for every extra 10 cm of height in both genders. Past studies have shown a link between height and cancer, just not on a large scale as this study. For this study, the researchers collected data on heights from the Swedish Conscription, the Swedish Medical Birth, and the Swedish Passport Registers, and collected cancer data from the Swedish Cancer Register.

Emelie Benyi, a PhD student and the head of the research study, at Karolinska Institute, stated that their results mirror the frequency of cancer on a population level. With multi factors as the primary cause of cancer, the study cannot predict the risk of cancer and its association with height on an individual level.

Previous studies have also suggested other possibilities as playing a vital part in the increase risk of cancer in people. Environmental factors, diet, and infections can affect the differences in height. Moreover, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) may also increase cancer risk.

What is next for the research team?

The team of researchers plans to investigate death from cancer and other causes, linking their occurrence to height. They will conduct the next part of their research in Sweden using the Swedish population to arrive at results. Even though they now know that the risk of cancer increases with height, they have yet to figure out the role height plays in cancer mortality rates.

The researchers have already had a chance to present their study at the 54th Annual European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Meeting held in Spain, but now want to make more progress on the findings.

The team’s research can advance the knowledge of medical professionals and researchers to understand cancer in a better way.