Size matters
Tall people are more likely to get cancer
Dmitry Kolesnik, Copper News
Tall people are more likely to develop cancer because they have more cells that can undergo dangerous mutations, a new American study suggests.
Previously, studies have already been conducted on the relationship of human growth with the risk of developing cancer. Some scientists have suggested that with every 10 cm of height above average, the risk of developing cancer increases by about 10%. In dogs, large breeds are also more at risk of developing cancer compared to small dogs. The biological reasons for this connection may be growth hormones, which may also contribute to an increased risk of cancer. Nutrition in childhood and diseases, according to experts, can also play a role in this case.
The lead author of the study, Leonard Nunney, a professor at the University of California, claims that, according to one of their main hypotheses, something that happens at an early age and is associated with an increase in growth makes cells more susceptible to cancer. The results are published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Leonard Nunney, Size matters: height, cell number and a person's risk of cancer).
According to Nanni, from the time when people go through the stages of development from the zygote to an adult, mutations accumulate inside the cells. These mutations then continue for life. If these mutations are dangerous, cancers may occur. Since tall people have more cells, they also have more cell divisions. Thus, high height can increase the risk of developing cancer.
During the study, scientists compared the overall risk of developing any type of cancer and analyzed it, taking into account the height of a person. The data were collected from previous studies conducted in Korea, Norway, Sweden and Austria. The model developed by scientists took into account the number of body cells. The results of the analysis of the model showed that the additional risk of developing cancer in women is 13% for every 10 cm of growth exceeding the average. In men, the predicted increase in the risk of developing cancer is 11% for every 10 cm of growth. In real life, women have a higher risk of developing cancer by about 12% with an additional 10 cm of height, and men – by 9%.
High growth was associated with 18 of the 23 cancers considered in the study. Unrelated to the growth was, for example, cervical cancer, which causes the human papillomavirus (HPV). On the other hand, there is an expressive relationship between high growth and melanoma, which may be associated with higher levels of growth hormone IGF-1, since it can increase the rate of cell division.
The most common cancers associated with high growth in women were malignant tumors of the thyroid gland, skin, colon, ovary, breast, uterus and lymphoma. Men have thyroid cancer, skin cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, tumors of the biliary tract and central nervous system. No association with high growth was found in tumors of the esophagus, stomach, oral cavity and stomach cancer in men.
Nanni explained that the number of cells itself plays a role in this case. At the same time, according to him, it does not matter whether high growth is due to good nutrition or genetics, only the number of cells itself is important. He also added that men are more likely to develop cancer associated with high growth.
According to Georgina Hill from the British Cancer Research Foundation Cancer Research UK, this study should not alarm tall people. She claims that the increase in risk is insignificant, and in addition, there is an opportunity to reduce the risk of developing cancer, for example, by quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.
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