A man’s risk for prostate cancer appears to increase with his height, a new study shows.
Height appears to play less of a role than other known prostate cancer risk factors like age, family history and race. As a result, men shouldn’t make screening or treatment decisions based on their height. But the findings may open up a new line of scientific inquiry into the causes of prostate cancer.
Researchers from four universities in England studied more than 9,000 men with and without prostate cancer and found that the tallest men had a 19 percent higher risk of developing prostate cancer than shorter men. Using the shortest men as a baseline, the study showed that risk increased 6 percent for every additional 4 inches in height. The report, published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, showed an even stronger association between height and aggressive cancers.
“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, of the department of social medicine at the University of Bristol. “But the insight arising from this research is of great scientific interest.”
The increased risk likely is explained by factors associated with height, such as the insulin-like growth factor-1 system, which stimulates cell growth and has been shown to be involved in prostate cancer incidence and progression. The researchers also analyzed 58 other studies and found evidence that greater stature is associated with a modest increase in prostate cancer risk.
A woman’s height also is associated with breast cancer risk. Women who are 5-feet-9 or taller have a small increase in risk of both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer compared to women 5-feet-3 or shorter.
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From 1 to 25 of 66 Comments
How interesting about prostate and brest cancer…though I know the link with height is a ightweight.
— CandiceWhew. I should be safe then.
— Dr. RobI qm 74 inches and have been treated for prostate cance. this is the first I have heard of height being a factor in prostrate cancer.
— dennis scanlonHave I got a sample buster for them!
— joanneThe problem with many correlative population based studies is that they support but do not prove (or disprove) the hypothesis that stature is CAUSALLY related to the incidence of prostate cancer (CaP). While the incidence of CaP among acromegalics has been intensively studied there is still no proof that elevated IGF-1 signaling is the causative event. Indeed, a number of recent scientific reports based on very powerful genetic manipulations in mice strongly suggests otherwise and raise concerns about intervention therapies targeting the IGF signaling axis.
— DR NM GREENBERGWho’d've thunk it?
— AnnCorrelation and causation?
— Mike StemkoskiDoes the study factor in the time men of each height incremental are standing, sitting or sleeping? And does it correlate the height of each 4-inch incremental group? Does it also correlate the time of activity done while in each state of stature?
Did the study also consider the different dietary factors for each group? Maybe taller men tend to eat more foods from the higher shelves of supermarkets. It’s possible.
Why not have another study?
— Larry CentorWhat a bunch of over-researched BS. Next month another study will show short men more likely to experience prostate cancer. Why does the news media publish this sort of “news”. I like to call it the “National Enquirer syndrome”. Remember all the martians and two headed babies the NE reported in the “old days” ? The NY Times follows suit.
— Frank RierNote that the article mentions that other know risk factors are still more important. And height is a “factor” only in that taller men have a greater likelihood of getting the disease. Per #3 & #5, we see correlation, but do not have any proof of “causation”. But anyway, most men should be screened as required whether or not they have risk factors.
— MattIn reference to Dr. Greenberg’s comments:
— FrankI saw nothing in the article that suggested height causes the increased risk, only that some third factor is common to both variables.
My theory is that cramming yourself into airline seats and whacking your head on basement ceilings stimulates a “just kill me now, please” mercy response in the prostate.
— Larry RoperThis is a very interesting study of correlation. As the authors say, the question is what ties the two items together, height and the specific cancers? Can it be some environmental exposure? It is it an environmental exposure, is it in utero or after birth?
I do not have the full study and wonder how well the controls were selected relative to the cases. This is a potential area of concern in looking at the results. Since neither the cases nor the controls are of unusal height, the results appear to contradict intuitive understanding. In most cases, adverse environmental exposure leads to lower rather than higher stature. On the other hand, since cancer involves erratic cell growth…
Study gives much food for thought,
Science Editor
— Sci Edhttp://www.polijam.com
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Maybe people from a Northern European heritage (tall) are more likely to get prostate cancer for another reason other than height.
— kgInteresting… well, for once I’m happy I’m just 5′6″. :)
— oxfdblueIts obviously a testosterone link, this has already been proven. They just didnt say that people with higher testosterone are also taller. On average.
— ZZZZAs a possible reason for this correlation:
Rumor has it that most women tend to prefer taller men, other things being equal.
If so, then probably tall men have a greater likelihood of having multiple partners, which may well be linked to some as-yet-unknown contagion that could increase the risk of prostate cancer.
— DazHow tall does a guy have to be for this to be valid? Average height for a guy is around 5′9″–so is it anything over that? When do the four-inches-taller start to count? Signed–a concerned just-under-5′9″ woman
— ClassifiedI have often wondered why the rate of prostate cancer is much higher, say, in the United States, than that in many Asian countries like Japan and China. Maybe the height difference explains it, though, I have heard that dietary differences may also be responsible.
— Jay DwivediI am not making a joke, but do the studies indicate any dwarves or midgets (little people..honestly), ever having had prostate cancer, and if so, what is the percentage since there are not that many in the country/world.
— W.SENNIT FORDI am 6′3″ and 70 and have not had health problems related to the prostate..just genetic. Family heart history in males.
I think they should study length, too.
— Joel BergsmanTaller men tend to be more successful in business. Perhaps their diets are “richer”, and they tend to eat larger meals. High testasterone levels in the body over many years can be a factor.
— SteveI do not believe that height alone is responsible for prostate cancer. If you are over 50 years old, get your PSA checked every year, and track the results. The PSA figure is important, but how much it changes from year to year is the first clue as to the presence of this disease.
Well duh… the taller you are, the bigger your prostate will be, and thus more cells likely to become cancerous. QED
— CaptObviousThe two men I know whose prostrate cancer went undiagnosed and turned into bone cancer were 5′3″ and 5′7″ respectively. They would both be near 100 years old now.
Perhaps this is a generational factor again since the average height increased for quite awhile among those of European descent though I believe in this country it’s dropping once again as the population makeup shifts.
— Joan in CaliforniaLarry Roper has it exactly right. Thank you Larry! You made my day!! Your theory is as good as anybody’s here!
— Vince