Height and weight in relation to uterine corpus cancer morbidity and mortality. A follow-up study of 570,000 women in Norway

Abstract

The height and weight of 570,000 Norwegian women, aged 30-69 years, were measured and the subjects were then followed up for 6-18 years with regard to uterine corpus cancer morbidity and mortality. The analysis reveals that both height and Quetelet's index are risk factors for uterine corpus cancer. The risk for women belonging to the 5th quintile of both height and Quetelet's index is 3.2 times higher than the risk for women in the 1st quintile of both factors. It is argued that both height and Quetelet's index express a common etiological mechanism and that this mechanism is probably connected to the early phase of the disease. Body size expressed through body surface area reveals about the same strength of association as Quetelet's index. It is calculated that if women in the 5th quintile of Quetelet's index belonged to the 4th quintile instead, there would be about 10% fewer cases of uterine corpus cancer.