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TL;DR
This retrospective cohort study of 784,192 German outpatients found a positive association between taller body height and a higher overall risk of developing cancer, with a stronger effect in women than in men.
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology · 6 authors, 3 centres
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This retrospective cohort study of 784,192 German outpatients found a positive association between taller body height and a higher overall risk of developing cancer, with a stronger effect in women than in men.
This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 784,192 adult outpatients in Germany using the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database. The study examined the association between adult body height and cancer incidence, stratified by sex, age, and cancer site. The primary finding was a positive association between increasing body height and overall cancer risk, with hazard ratios of 1.11 for women and 1.06 for men per 10 cm increase in height. The association was particularly strong for malignant melanoma. The authors note the study is descriptive and limited by its retrospective nature, potential misclassification of diagnoses, and lack of data on confounding factors like lifestyle or socioeconomic status. The results provide epidemiological evidence of an association but do not establish causation.