New research has come to light, indicating that there is a link between your height and the likelihood of you getting cancer. Many common cancers were linked in the study to increased height. These cancers included those that affect the wellness of the skin, as well as bowel cancer, womb cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, ovary cancer and kidney cancer. There was also an association found between height and the blood cancer multiple myeloma.
Scientists found that for every 10cm increase in a woman’s height, her post-menopausal risk of developing a cancer was increased by around 13 percent. Carried out in the US, this study alarmingly revealed that being just 10cm taller could even increase your risk of rectum, kidney, thyroid and blood cancers by between 23 and 29 percent. Other cancers were lower than this, but the 10cm height adjustment still increased the risk to your wellbeing of getting ovary, breast, womb and colon cancer by around 13 to 17 percent.
This groundbreaking research showed that being tall is a greater risk factor for developing cancer than being overweight. The results of the study have been recorded in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
The lead scientist in the study, Dr Geoffrey Kabat, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, based in New York said that the scientists were surprised to find that there was such a strong association between height and the risk of getting cancer. They were particularly amazed to find that there was more of a link between cancer and height than cancer and weight.
Dr Geoffrey Kabat did go on to explain, however, that it does stand to reason that there is a link between cancer and height, as cancer is a growth process, and thus the hormones that influence human growth may well have an influence on the chances of getting cancer. Further research is needed, however, to establish exactly what this link is and what it means for the future of cancer treatment and prevention.