Why Are Tall People More Likely to Get Cancer?

Taller individuals have a higher risk of developing cancer, according to strong evidence from the World Cancer Research Fund. Research has shown that people with greater height are more likely to develop cancers such as pancreatic, large bowel, uterus, ovarian, prostate, kidney, skin, and breast cancer.

The UK Million Women Study revealed that for 15 out of 17 types of cancer examined, the taller the person, the greater the likelihood of developing the disease. The study found that for every 10-centimeter increase in height, the risk of cancer increases by about 16%. Men face a similar increase in cancer risk with height.

To put this in perspective, for women of average height (around 165 cm), about 45 out of 10,000 will develop cancer each year. However, for women who are 175 cm tall, around 52 out of 10,000 will get cancer, which is only an additional seven cases.

Another study found that taller individuals were more prone to 22 of 23 types of cancer, further emphasizing the connection between height and cancer risk across different ethnicities and income levels. The link also holds in studies analyzing genetic factors that predict height.

But why does this happen? There are two main theories that explain the relationship between height and cancer risk.

More Cells, More Risk

The first theory is that taller people simply have more cells in their bodies. For instance, a taller person may have a longer large bowel with more cells, which increases the chances of developing large bowel cancer. Cancer is known to develop due to genetic damage that accumulates over time as cells divide. The more cells a person has, the more cell divisions occur, and this increases the chance of genetic damage, which could lead to cancer.

This theory could also explain why men tend to have higher cancer rates than women since men are typically taller.

Growth Factors and Cancer

The second theory suggests that the same factors that contribute to a person’s height may also raise cancer risk. For example, growth factors that promote height might also stimulate cell division, leading to a higher chance of genetic damage and cancer development.

However, height does not explain the size of all organs. For instance, it’s unclear whether taller women have larger breasts or ovaries, which might affect their risk of cancers related to those organs.

A study exploring the connection between organ mass and cancer found that while organ size explained the height-cancer link in some cancers, it didn’t in others, suggesting that other factors are at play. The study had limitations, particularly regarding the data available on organ mass.

In summary, while the link between height and cancer risk is clear, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms involved. Both the number of cells in the body and growth factors could play roles in the increased risk for taller individuals.

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