Adult height is associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer: A Mendelian randomisation study
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2018
Abstract
Background: Observational studies suggest greater height is associated with increased ovarian cancer risk, but cannot exclude bias and/or confounding as explanations for this. Mendelian randomisation (MR) can provide evidence which may be less prone to bias. Methods: We pooled data from 39 Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium studies (16,395 cases; 23,003 controls). We applied two-stage predictor-substitution MR, using a weighted genetic risk score combining 609 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Study-specific odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between genetically predicted height and risk were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Greater genetically predicted height was associated with increased ovarian cancer risk overall (pooled-OR (pOR) = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.11 per 5 cm increase in height), and separately for invasive (pOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.11) and borderline (pOR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02-1.29) tumours. Conclusions: Women with a genetic propensity to being taller have increased risk of ovarian cancer. This suggests genes influencing height are involved in pathways promoting ovarian carcinogenesis.
Recommended Citation
Dixon-Suen, Suzanne C.; Nagle, Christina M.; Thrift, Aaron P.; Pharoah, Paul D.P.; Ewing, Ailith; Pearce, Celeste Leigh; Zheng, Wei; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Fasching, Peter A.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Lambrechts, Diether; Vergote, Ignace; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Van Nieuwenhuysen, Els; Rossing, Mary Anne; Doherty, Jennifer A.; Wicklund, Kristine G.; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Jung, Audrey Y.; Moysich, Kirsten B.; and Odunsi, Kunle, "Adult height is associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer: A Mendelian randomisation study" (2018). Faculty Publications. 165.
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/facpubs/165