Short Communication

British Journal of Cancer (2009) 101, 522–525. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605159 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 30 June 2009

Height and risk of prostate cancer in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial

J Ahn1,2, S C Moore1, D Albanes1, W-Y Huang1, M F Leitzmann3 and R B Hayes2 for the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial Project Team

  1. 1Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
  2. 2Division of Epidemiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
  3. 3Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, Regensburg D-93053, Germany

Correspondence: Dr J Ahn, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 650 First Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA. E-mail: Jiyoung.Ahn@NYUMC.org

Received 24 March 2009; Revised 29 May 2009; Accepted 5 June 2009; Published online 30 June 2009.

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Abstract

Background:

  

The relationship between prostate cancer and height is uncertain.

Methods:

  

We prospectively examined the association of height with prostate cancer among 34268 men in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer trial. Anthropometry was assessed at baseline and 2144 incident prostate cancer cases were identified upto 8.9 years of follow-up.

Results:

  

Overall, tallness was not associated with the risk of prostate cancer or with the risk of non-aggressive disease, but the risk for aggressive prostate cancer tended to be greater in taller men (Gleason score greater than or equal to7 or stage greater than or equal toIII; P trend=0.05; relative risk (RR) for 190 cm+ vs less than or equal to170 cm=1.39, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.96–2.01). This association was largely limited to men below the age of 65 years (P trend=0.008; RR for 190 cm+ vs less than or equal to170 cm=1.76, 95% CI: 1.06–2.93; P for interaction=0.009), although the number of cases was small and risk estimates were somewhat unstable.

Conclusion:

  

The results of this large prospective prostate cancer screening trial suggest that tallness is associated with increased risk for younger onset aggressive prostate cancer.

Keywords:

height, prostate cancer, aggressiveness