Body size in relation to cancer of the uterine corpus in 1 million Norwegian women

• Published in: International journal of cancer Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 378 - 383
• Main Authors: Bjørge, Tone, Engeland, Anders, Tretli, Steinar, Weiderpass, Elisabete
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.01.2007; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Body Size; cancer of the uterine corpus; cohort study; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; height; histology; Humans; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Norway; Norway - epidemiology; Risk; Tumors; Uterine Neoplasms - epidemiology; Norway; Europe; Human; Uterine corpus cancer; cancer of the uterine corpus; Anthropometry; Corporal biometry; Malignant tumor; Female genital diseases; Body mass index; Anatomic pathology; Cancerology; Histopathology; histology; Norway; Cohort study; Body size; Histological type; Uterine diseases; Adult; Female; Public health; height
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.22260

A positive association between overweight/obesity and endometrial cancer has been observed. It has been hypothesized that obesity is mostly associated with a subtype described as estrogen‐dependent (Type I tumors), constituting about 80% of the endometrial tumors. Few epidemiologic studies have, however, analyzed different histological subtypes separately. The present study aimed at exploring the relations between body size and histological subtypes of cancer of the uterine corpus. Height and weight were measured in over 1 million Norwegian women aged 20–74 during 1963–2001. During follow‐up, 9,227 cancers of the uterine corpus were diagnosed. The tumors were classified as Type I tumors (mostly endometrial adenocarcinomas with subgroups), Type II tumors (papillary, serous, and clear cell adenocarcinomas and some poorly differentiated carcinomas), sarcomas, and mixed tumors. Relative risks (RRs) of cancer of the uterine corpus were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Compared with women with normal BMI, overweight and obese women had an overall RR of cancer of the uterine corpus of 1.36 (95% CI: 1.29–1.42) and 2.51 (95% CI: 2.83–2.66). The increase in risk was most pronounced for Type I tumors, but was also seen for Type II tumors, sarcomas and mixed tumors. The overall RR of corpus uteri cancer associated with a 10‐cm increase in height was 1.09 (95% CI: 1.05–1.13), and was mostly observed for Type I tumors. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.