People who are taller are at greater risk of developing cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund reports there is strong evidence taller people have a higher chance of of developing cancer of the: pancreas large bowel uterus (endometrium) ovary prostate kidney skin (melanoma) and breast (pre- and post-menopausal). But why? Here’s what we know, don’t know and suspect.
A well established pattern The UK Million Women Study found that for 15 of the 17 cancers they investigated, the taller you are the more likely you are to have them. It found that overall, each ten-centimetre increase in height increased the risk of developing a cancer by about 16%. A similar increase has been found in men.
Let’s put that in perspective. If about 45 in every 10,000 women of average height (about 165 centimetres) develop cancer each year, then about 52 in each 10,000 women who are 175 centimetres tall would get cancer. That’s only an extra seven cancers.
So, it’s actually a pretty small increase in risk. Another study found 22 of 23 cancers occurred more commonly in taller than in shorter people. Why? The relationship between height and cancer risk occurs across ethnicities and income levels, as well as in studies that have looked at genes that predict height .
These results suggest there is a biological reason for the link between cancer and height. While it is not completely clear why, there are a couple of strong theories. The first is linked to the fact a taller person will have more c.