A new analysis indicates that having a higher body weight and taller stature during adolescence may increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Global rates of NHL have been on the rise in recent years, and research suggests that rising rates of obesity may be contributing to this trend.
With this in mind, investigators examined whether adolescent weight and height might be associated with the risk of developing NHL later in life.
They reported their results in Cancer.
The study included 2,352,988 subjects, ages 16 to 19, who were examined between 1967 and 2011. Their information was linked to the Israel National Cancer Registry, which included 4021 cases of NHL from 1967 through 2012.
The data showed that being overweight or obese in adolescence was associated with an increased risk of NHL later in life. When compared to adolescents of normal weight, the hazard ratio (HR) was 1.25 for subjects who were overweight or obese. The HR for underweight individuals was 0.98.
Being overweight or obese in adolescence was a significant predictor for marginal zone lymphoma (HR=1.70), primary cutaneous lymphoma (PCL, HR=1.44), and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, HR=1.31). Excess weight was a borderline predictor for follicular lymphoma (HR=1.28).
“It is important to be aware that overweight and obesity are not risk factors only for diabetes and cardiovascular disease but also for lymphomas,” said study author Merav Leiba, MD, of the Sheba Medical Center in Israel.
Dr Leiba and her colleagues also observed an increased risk of NHL corresponding with increases in subjects’ height. When compared with the mid-range height category, shorter individuals had an HR of 1.25, and the tallest individuals had an HR of 1.28.
The strongest associations between taller height and NHL were observed for primary cutaneous lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The HRs for the tallest group, compared to the shortest group, were 3.19 for PCL and 2.21 for DLBCL.
The investigators said additional research is needed to help explain the links between height, weight, and NHL.
