Birth weight and subsequent risk of cancer

Cassandra N Spracklen; Robert B Wallace; Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson; Jennifer G Robinson; Jo L Freudenheim; Melissa F Wellons; Audrey F Saftlas; Linda G Snetselaar; JoAnn E Manson; Lifang Hou; Lihong Qi; Rowan T Chlebowski; Kelli K Ryckman

doi:10.1016/j.canep.2014.07.004

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Birth weight and subsequent risk of cancer

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Birth weight and subsequent risk of cancer

Cassandra N Spracklen, Robert B Wallace, Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, Jennifer G Robinson, Jo L Freudenheim, Melissa F Wellons, Audrey F Saftlas, Linda G Snetselaar, JoAnn E Manson, Lifang Hou, …

Cancer epidemiology, Vol.38(5), pp.538-543

10/2014

DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2014.07.004

PMCID: PMC4188724

PMID: 25096278

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Abstract

•We examined for an association between birth weight and several postmenopausal cancer types.•Birth weight was positively associated with the risk of gynecologic, lung, endometrial, and colon cancer.•Birth weight was negatively associated with the risk of leukemia.•Women born weighing ≥10lbs were less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women born between 6lbs and 7lbs 15oz. Background: We aimed to determine the association between self-reported birth weight and incident cancer in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study cohort, a large multiethnic cohort of postmenopausal women. Methods: 65,850 women reported their birth weight by category (<6lbs, 6–7lbs 15oz, 8–9lbs 15oz, and ≥10lbs). All self-reported, incident cancers were adjudicated by study staff. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate crude and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for associations between birth weight and: (1) all cancer sites combined, (2) gynecologic cancers, and (3) several site-specific cancer sites. Results: After adjustments, birth weight was positively associated with the risk of lung cancer (p=0.01), and colon cancer (p=0.04). An inverse trend was observed between birth weight and risk for leukemia (p=0.04). A significant trend was not observed with breast cancer risk (p=0.67); however, women born weighing ≥10lbs were less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women born between 6lbs-7lbs 15oz (aHR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63, 0.94). Conclusion: Birth weight category appears to be significantly associated with the risk of any postmenopausal incident cancer, though the direction of the association varies by cancer type.

Leukemia

Ovarian neoplasms

Birth weight

Breast neoplasms

Colorectal neoplasms

Endometrial neoplasms

Neoplasms

Lung neoplasms

Details

Title: Subtitle: Birth weight and subsequent risk of cancer
Creators: Cassandra N Spracklen - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 North Riverside Drive, S471 CPHB, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
Robert B Wallace - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 North Riverside Drive, S422 CPHB, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson - Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3939 Woodward Avenue, Room 319, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Jennifer G Robinson - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 North Riverside Drive, S455 CPHB, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
Jo L Freudenheim - Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo, 270 Farber Hall, Buffalo, NY 14214, United States
Melissa F Wellons - Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Vanderbilt University, 2213 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
Audrey F Saftlas - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 North Riverside Drive, S427 CPHB, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
Linda G Snetselaar - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 North Riverside Drive, S425 CPHB, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
JoAnn E Manson - Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States
Lifang Hou - Department of Preventative Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 608 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
Lihong Qi - Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States
Rowan T Chlebowski - Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1124 West Carson Street, Torrance, CA 90502, United States
Kelli K Ryckman - Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, 145 North Riverside Drive, CPHB, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Cancer epidemiology, Vol.38(5), pp.538-543
DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2014.07.004
PMID: 25096278
PMCID: PMC4188724
NLM abbreviation: Cancer Epidemiol
ISSN: 1877-7821
eISSN: 1877-783X
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100005266, name: WHI; DOI: 10.13039/100000050, name: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health; DOI: 10.13039/100000016, name: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, award: HHSN268201100046C, HHSN268201100001C, HHSN268201100002C, HHSN268201100003C, HHSN268201100004C, HHSN271201100004C
Language: English
Date published: 10/2014
Academic Unit: Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9983996055702771

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