Body size and composition and prostate cancer risk: systematic review and meta-regression analysis

MacInnis RJ, English DR (2006) Body size and composition and prostate cancer risk: systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Cancer Causes Control 17:989-1003

The evidence that measures of obesity and stature are associated with prostate cancer is weak and inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between body mass index (BMI), height, weight, waist circumference and waist-to-hips ratio (WHR) and the risk of prostate cancer. Study-specific dose-response slopes were obtained, and random effects rate ratios (RRs) were computed from linear meta-regression models. We included 55,521 cases identified among 2,818,767 men from 31 cohort studies, and 13,232 cases and 16,317 controls from 25 case-control studies. The overall RR for BMI was 1.05 per 5 kg/m2 increment, 95% CI 1.01-1.08. For studies that reported results by stage of disease, the RRs were stronger for advanced disease (RR 1.12 per 5 kg/m2 increment, 95% CI 1.01-1.23) compared with localized disease (RR 0.96 per 5 kg/m2 increment, 95% CI 0.89-1.03), p = 0.02. Height was also positively associated with risk (RR 1.05 per 10 cm increment, 95% CI 1.02-1.09), but the evidence was weak for weight (RR 1.01 per 10 kg increment, 95% CI 0.97-1.04), waist circumference (RR 1.03 per 10 cm increment, 95% CI 0.99-1.07), and WHR (RR 1.11 per 0.1 unit increment, 95% CI 0.95-1.30). Stronger associations were observed among cohort studies compared with case-control studies for BMI (p = 0.006), height (p < 0.001)="" and="" weight="" (p="0.02)." this="" meta-analysis="" indicates="" that="" obesity="" is="" weakly="" associated="" with="" an="" increased="" risk="" of="" prostate="" cancer="" (particularly="" advanced="" stage="" tumors).="" while="" increased="" stature="" may="" also="" increase="" risk,="" there="" is="" little="" evidence="" for="" an="" association="" with="" central="">