Plasma insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective study in northern Sweden

• Published in: Gut Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 642 - 646
• Main Authors: Palmqvist, R, Hallmans, G, Rinaldi, S, Biessy, C, Stenling, R, Riboli, E, Kaaks, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology 01.05.2002; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; Copyright 2002 by Gut
• Subjects: Adult; Anthropometry; Biological activity; Biological and medical sciences; Blood & organ donations; BMI; body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; Case-Control Studies; Colonic Neoplasms - blood; Colorectal Cancer; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; growth hormone; Humans; IGF binding protein 3; IGF-1; IGF-1 receptor; IGF1-R; IGFBP-3; immunoradiometric assay; Insulin; insulin-like growth factor; insulin-like growth factor 1; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 - blood; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - analysis; Insulin-like growth factors; IRMA; Lifestyles; Logistic Models; Male; Mammary Screening Project; Medical diagnosis; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; MONICA; Monitoring of Trends and Cardiovascular Disease Study; MSP; Neoplasm Proteins - blood; Odds Ratio; Plasma; Prospective Studies; Rectal Neoplasms - blood; Risk Factors; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors; VIP; Västerbotten Intervention Project; Womens health; France; Sweden; Human; Rectal disease; Pathogenesis; Malignant tumor; Insulin like growth factor 1; Incidence; Colonic disease; Insulin like growth factor binding protein; Cohort study; Risk factor; Rectum; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Colon; Biological effect
• ISSN: 0017-5749; 1468-3288; 1458-3288
• DOI: 10.1136/gut.50.5.642

Background: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has antiapoptotic and mitogenic effects on various cell types, and raised IGF-1 levels are increasingly being implicated as potential risk factors for cancer. Aims: To examine the relationship between IGF-1 and its major plasma binding protein, IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and the risk of colorectal cancer. Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested within the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Cohort. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were measured in prediagnostic plasma samples from 168 men and women who developed cancers of the colon (n=110) or rectum (n=58), and from 336 matched controls. Results: Conditional logistic regression analyses showed an increase in colon cancer risk with increasing levels of IGF-1 (odds ratios (ORs) 1.00, 1.89, 2.30, 2.66; ptrend=0.03) and IGFBP-3 (ORs 1.00, 0.91, 1.80, 1.93; ptrend=0.02). Rectal cancer risk was inversely related to levels of IGF-1 (ORs 1.00, 0.45, 0.33, 0.33; ptrend=0.09) and IGFBP-3 (ORs 1.00, 0.75, 0.66, 0.49; ptrend=0.21). Mutual adjustments between IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 did not materially alter these relationships. Conclusions: These results support earlier findings of increased risk of colon cancer in subjects with elevated plasma IGF-1. Our results however do not support the hypothesis that the risk of rectal cancer could also be directly related to IGF-1 levels.