Body mass index, body height, and subsequent risk of colorectal cancer in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men and women: Japan public health center-based prospective study

Cancer Causes Control. 2005 Sep;16(7):839-50. doi: 10.1007/s10552-005-4573-z.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association of body mass index (BMI) or body height with colorectal cancer incidence in a population-based prospective study.

Methods: We identified 986 (626 men and 360 women) newly diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer during the 9.4-year follow-up of a cohort consisting of 102,949 (49,158 male and 53,791 female) middle-aged and elderly Japanese.

Results: Lower BMI groups (lower than 23) were not associated with colorectal cancer compared with the 23-24.9 BMI group. Any categories of 25-26.9, 27-29.9, or 30 or more BMI were associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer compared with the lower than 25 BMI (RR, 1.2 for 25-26.9, 1.4 for 27-29.9, and 1.5 for 30 or more; p for trend, 0.004) in men. These associations were more evident only in invasive-type cancer analysis. BMI was not associated with the risk of colorectal cancer in women. No significant association with height was obtained for either men or women.

Conclusions: The association of BMI with colorectal cancer was confirmed in a Japanese population as well as Western populations. Only invasive-cancer analysis suggested that BMI was important for tumor growth and proliferation. Approximately 6.7% of colorectal cancer was attributable to a BMI of 25 or higher in middle-aged and elderly Japanese men.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Body Height*
  • Body Mass Index*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Japan / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Population Surveillance
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors