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The association between height and risk of lung cancer subtypes in men and women in the Netherlands Cohort Study

Le, Huyen LU orcid ; Simons, Colinda C.J.M. and van den Brandt, Piet A. (2024) In Cancer Epidemiology 92.
Abstract

Objectives: Previous studies found no or weak positive associations between height and lung cancer (LC) risk, with differences between sexes. Few studies stratified the association by smoking status and LC subtype. This prospective study investigated the association between height and risks of overall LC and LC subtypes (i.e., adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma) in Dutch men and women, with comprehensive adjustment for smoking, and stratified by smoking status. Materials and methods: Data originate from 120,852 Dutch participants aged 55–69 in 1986 in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Self-reported height and potential confounders were collected at baseline. After 20.3 years of follow-up,... (More)

Objectives: Previous studies found no or weak positive associations between height and lung cancer (LC) risk, with differences between sexes. Few studies stratified the association by smoking status and LC subtype. This prospective study investigated the association between height and risks of overall LC and LC subtypes (i.e., adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma) in Dutch men and women, with comprehensive adjustment for smoking, and stratified by smoking status. Materials and methods: Data originate from 120,852 Dutch participants aged 55–69 in 1986 in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Self-reported height and potential confounders were collected at baseline. After 20.3 years of follow-up, 3318 LC cases (2765 men; 553 women) and 4314 subcohort members were included in the multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results: There were no significant associations between height and risks of overall LC and LC subtypes in men and women, except for an increased adenocarcinoma risk in taller women (HRquartile4 vs quartile1=1.62, 95% CI: 1.02–2.55, Ptrend=0.031). This positive association was borderline statistically significant in female current smokers only when stratifying on smoking status. No interaction by smoking status was shown in women for any LC risk. In men, smoking modified the association between height and risks of overall LC, large cell and squamous cell carcinoma, with the p-values for interaction of 0.037, 0.007 and 0.050, respectively. Conclusion: Positive associations between height and LC subtypes were predominantly seen in smokers. Further studies should focus on LC subtypes and stratify the association by smoking status.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adult height, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Lung cancer, Smoking
in
Cancer Epidemiology
volume
92
article number
102613
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:39024861
  • scopus:85198740905
ISSN
1877-7821
DOI
10.1016/j.canep.2024.102613
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
58ece4c2-ae90-469f-be2f-cbd599beeaa8
date added to LUP
2024-09-03 13:26:33
date last changed
2025-09-03 23:10:57
@article{58ece4c2-ae90-469f-be2f-cbd599beeaa8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: Previous studies found no or weak positive associations between height and lung cancer (LC) risk, with differences between sexes. Few studies stratified the association by smoking status and LC subtype. This prospective study investigated the association between height and risks of overall LC and LC subtypes (i.e., adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma) in Dutch men and women, with comprehensive adjustment for smoking, and stratified by smoking status. Materials and methods: Data originate from 120,852 Dutch participants aged 55–69 in 1986 in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Self-reported height and potential confounders were collected at baseline. After 20.3 years of follow-up, 3318 LC cases (2765 men; 553 women) and 4314 subcohort members were included in the multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results: There were no significant associations between height and risks of overall LC and LC subtypes in men and women, except for an increased adenocarcinoma risk in taller women (HR<sub>quartile4 vs quartile1</sub>=1.62, 95% CI: 1.02–2.55, P<sub>trend</sub>=0.031). This positive association was borderline statistically significant in female current smokers only when stratifying on smoking status. No interaction by smoking status was shown in women for any LC risk. In men, smoking modified the association between height and risks of overall LC, large cell and squamous cell carcinoma, with the p-values for interaction of 0.037, 0.007 and 0.050, respectively. Conclusion: Positive associations between height and LC subtypes were predominantly seen in smokers. Further studies should focus on LC subtypes and stratify the association by smoking status.</p>}},
  author       = {{Le, Huyen and Simons, Colinda C.J.M. and van den Brandt, Piet A.}},
  issn         = {{1877-7821}},
  keywords     = {{Adult height; Cohort studies; Epidemiology; Lung cancer; Smoking}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Cancer Epidemiology}},
  title        = {{The association between height and risk of lung cancer subtypes in men and women in the Netherlands Cohort Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2024.102613}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.canep.2024.102613}},
  volume       = {{92}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}