Height Linked to Prostate Cancer Development, Growth
in Review of 58 Studies
We speculate that factors that influence height may
also influence cancer and height is therefore acting as a marker for the
causal factors
Sept.
3, 2008 A mans height appears to indicate his risk for prostate
cancer more height, more risk. But British researchers, who reviewed
58 published studies, say height is a much stronger indicator of how
rapidly the cancer will progress.
They estimate that the risk of developing the
disease rises by about six percent for every 10 centimeters (3.9 inches)
in height a man is over the shortest group of men in the study. That
means a man who is one foot taller than the shortest person in the study
would have a 19 percent increased risk of developing the disease.
Still, these increases in risk are a lot less than
those linked with other established risk factors, such as age, family
history of the disease, and race. Because of that, the researchers do
not suggest that taller men be screened more often than is typical, or
that their cancer treatment be altered.
"Compared to other risk factors, the magnitude of
the additional risk of being taller is small, and we do not believe that
it should interfere with preventive or clinical decisions in managing
prostate cancer," said the study's lead author, Luisa Zuccolo, M.Sc., of
the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Bristol.
"But the insight arising from this research is of
great scientific interest. Little is known on the causes of prostate
cancer and this association with height has opened up a new line of
scientific inquiry."
For example, Zuccolo says that factors associated
with height - not height itself could be risk factors for progression
to fatal prostate cancer, and a plausible mechanism behind this
association could be the insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) system,
which stimulates cell growth and has been shown to be involved in
prostate cancer incidence and progression.
Prostate Cancer
The prostate is the gland below a man's
bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is the
third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages.
It is rare in men younger than 40.
Levels of a substance called prostate
specific antigen (PSA) is often high in men with prostate
cancer. However, PSA can also be high with other
prostate conditions. Since the PSA test became common, most
prostate cancers are found before they cause symptoms. Symptoms
of prostate cancer may include
>> Problems passing urine, such as pain,
difficulty starting or stopping the stream, or dribbling
>> Low back pain
>> Pain with ejaculation
Prostate cancer treatment often depends
on the stage of the cancer. How fast the cancer grows and how
different it is from surrounding tissue helps determine the
stage. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy,
chemotherapy or control of hormones that affect the cancer.
Because some studies have shown a much greater
association between height and prostate cancer risk some between 20 to
40 percent the researchers then placed their results in the context of
available evidence.
They conducted a meta-analysis of 58 studies, and
found evidence that greater stature is associated with increased
prostate cancer risk. But as in their study, the overall effect varied
with study design and was modest a three to 9 percent increase risk of
development per 10 centimeters, and five to 19 percent increase in risk
for more advanced cancer.
"We do not believe that height itself matters in
determining risk of prostate cancer or prostate cancer progression, but
we speculate that factors that influence height may also influence
cancer and height is therefore acting as a marker for the causal
factors," Zuccolo said.
The work of the 12 researchers at four universities
in England, who studied more than 9,000 men with and without prostate
cancer, appears in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for
Cancer Research.
Editors Notes:
The mission of the American Association for
Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is
the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to
advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000
basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care
professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States
and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise
from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and
educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants.
The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000
participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the
field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across
a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care.
AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals:
Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer
Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major
journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer
prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also
publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families,
patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for
sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on
progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.
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