Abstract
BackgroundThe relationship between anthropometric indices and risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is largely unknown. We aimed to examine the association between anthropometric measures and development of BCC and to demonstrate whether adherence to World Health Organisation guidelines for body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip ratio was associated with risk of BCC, independent of sun exposure.MethodsStudy participants were participants in a community-based skin cancer prevention trial in Nambour, a town in southeast Queensland (latitude 26°S). In 1992, height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences were measured for all 1621 participants and weight was remeasured at the end of the trial in 1996. Prevalence proportion ratios were calculated using a log-binomial model to estimate the risk of BCC prior to or prevalent in 1992, while Poisson regression with robust error variances was used to estimate the relative risk of BCC during the follow-up period.ResultsAt baseline, 94 participants had a current BCC, and 202 had a history of BCC. During the 5-year follow-up period, 179 participants developed one or more new BCCs. We found no significant association between any of the anthropometric measures or indices and risk of BCC after controlling for potential confounding factors including sun exposure. There was a suggestion that short-term weight gain may increase the risk of developing BCC for women only.ConclusionAdherence to World Health Organisation guidelines for body mass index, waist circumference and waist/hip ratio is not significantly associated with occurrence of basal cell carcinomas of the skin.
Highlights
The relationship between anthropometric indices and risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is largely unknown
We examined the association between anthropometric measures and indices and risk of BCC in a representative sample of people aged 25 to 75 years living in the township of Nambour, Queensland, who were followed up prospectively for a period of 4.5 years from early 1992 to late 1996
Waist circumference and hip circumference was measured for 1221 participants, waist-hip ratio able to be calculated for 1220 participants
Summary
The relationship between anthropometric indices and risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is largely unknown. To date only two previous studies have investigated the association between anthropometric measures and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) [1,2]. BMC Cancer 2006, 6:82 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/6/82 study did the authors consider potential confounders such as phenotypic characteristics and sun exposure. Anthropometric measures such as height, weight and body mass index (BMI) are associated with the development of certain malignancies [3]. Increasing height has been associated with increased risk of cancer of the breast, colon and prostate [3,4,5]. Obesity has been consistently associated with an increased risk of cancers of the colon, breast (in postmenopausal women), endometrium, kidney, oesophagus, and gastric cardia [6]
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