Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T11:57:48.310Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measures of birth size in relation to risk of prostate cancer: the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, Sweden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2012

P. H. Lahmann ,
P. Wallström ,
L. Lissner ,
H. Olsson  and
B. Gullberg
P. H. Lahmann*
Affiliation:
Population Health Department, Cancer and Population Studies, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Department of Clinical Sciences, Experimental Cardiovascular Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
P. Wallström
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nutrition Epidemiology Research Group, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
L. Lissner
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
H. Olsson
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Sciences, Cancer Epidemiology, Division V, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
B. Gullberg
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nutrition Epidemiology Research Group, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr P. H. Lahmann, Cancer and Population Studies, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia. (Email [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

There is some evidence that perinatal factors, specifically birth weight (BW), may be related to the onset of prostate cancer (PRCA). This case–control study, nested within the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort Study, used archived birth record data from 308 incident PRCA cases diagnosed between 1991 and 2005, and 637 age-matched controls among 4781 men born (1923–1945) in Malmö and Lund, Sweden. We applied conditional logistic regression to examine the birth size–PRCA association, including tumour subtypes, adjusting for perinatal and adult factors. Compared with controls, cases had a non-significantly higher mean BW and were more likely to have high (>4000 g) BW (21% v. 18%), but did not differ in other birth size measures, nor in mean adult body mass index . We observed a non-linear association between BW and PRCA risk. Compared with BWs between 3000 and 3500 g (reference), the fully adjusted odds ratios (OR, 95% CI) were 0.55 (0.33–0.91) for <3000 g, 0.86 (0.61–1.22) for 3500–4000 g and 0.98 (0.64–1.50) for >4000 g. Among men with aggressive tumours, the reduction in risk for those with BWs <3000 g (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.09–0.72) was stronger than the rate of risk for PRCA overall. Crude risk estimates were minimally attenuated when adjusted for gestational age, maternal age, birth order and adult factors. Birth length, head circumference and placental weight were not associated with prostate cancer. Our results indicate a protective effect of lower BW on risk of total and aggressive prostate cancer, rather than any direct effect of larger birth size.

Keywords

birth lengthbirth weightgestational ageperinatal factorsprostate cancer
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 3 , Issue 6 , December 2012 , pp. 442 - 449
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Damber, JE, Aus, G. Prostate cancer. Lancet. 2008; 371, 1710–1721.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Nelen, V. Epidemiology of prostate cancer. Recent Results Cancer Res. 2007; 175, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Wigle, DT, Turner, MC, Gomes, J, Parent, ME. Role of hormonal and other factors in human prostate cancer. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2008; 11, 242–259.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Ekbom, A. Growing evidence that several human cancers may originate in utero. Semin Cancer Biol. 1998; 8, 237–244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Silva Idos, S, De Stavola, B, McCormack, V. Birth size and breast cancer risk: re-analysis of individual participant data from 32 studies. PLoS Med. 2008; 5, e193.Google Scholar
6.Potischman, N, Troisi, R, Vatten, LJ. The life course approach to cancer epidemiology. In A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology (eds. Kuh D, Ben-Shlomo Y), 2004; pp. 260–280. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
7.Henderson, BE, Bernstein, L, Ross, RK, Depue, RH, Judd, HL. The early in utero oestrogen and testosterone environment of blacks and whites: potential effects on male offspring. Br J Cancer. 1988; 57, 216–218.Google Scholar
8.Ross, RK, Henderson, BE. Do diet and androgens alter prostate cancer risk via a common etiologic pathway? J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994; 86, 252–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Kaijser, M, Granath, F, Jacobsen, G, Cnattingius, S, Ekbom, A. Maternal pregnancy estriol levels in relation to anamnestic and fetal anthropometric data. Epidemiology. 2000; 11, 315–319.Google Scholar
10.Ekbom, A, Hsieh, CC, Lipworth, L, et al. Perinatal characteristics in relation to incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer. BMJ. 1996; 313, 337–341.Google Scholar
11.Ekbom, A, Wuu, J, Adami, HO, et al. Duration of gestation and prostate cancer risk in offspring. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000; 9, 221–223.Google Scholar
12.Tibblin, G, Eriksson, M, Cnattingius, S, Ekbom, A. High birthweight as a predictor of prostate cancer risk. Epidemiology. 1995; 6, 423–424.Google Scholar
13.Ahlgren, M, Wohlfahrt, J, Olsen, LW, Sörensen, TI, Melbye, M. Birth weight and risk of cancer. Cancer. 2007; 110, 412–419.Google Scholar
14.Cnattingius, S, Lundberg, F, Sandin, S, Gronberg, H, Iliadou, A. Birth characteristics and risk of prostate cancer: the contribution of genetic factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009; 18, 2422–2426.Google Scholar
15.Nilsen, TI, Romundstad, PR, Troisi, R, Vatten, LJ. Birth size and subsequent risk for prostate cancer: a prospective population-based study in Norway. Int J Cancer. 2005; 113, 1002–1004.Google Scholar
16.Platz, EA, Giovannucci, E, Rimm, EB, et al. Retrospective analysis of birth weight and prostate cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1998; 147, 1140–1144.Google Scholar
17.McCormack, VA, dos Santos Silva, I, Koupil, I, Leon, DA, Lithell, HO. Birth characteristics and adult cancer incidence: Swedish cohort of over 11,000 men and women. Int J Cancer. 2005; 115, 611–617.Google Scholar
18.Boland, LL, Mink, PJ, Bushhouse, SA, Folsom, AR. Weight and length at birth and risk of early-onset prostate cancer (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 2003; 14, 335–338.Google Scholar
19.Eriksson, M, Wedel, H, Wallander, MA, et al. The impact of birth weight on prostate cancer incidence and mortality in a population-based study of men born in 1913 and followed up from 50 to 85 years of age. Prostate. 2007; 67, 1247–1254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Oken, E, Gillman, MW. Fetal origins of obesity. Obes Res. 2003; 11, 496–506.Google Scholar
21.Rogers, I. The influence of birthweight and intrauterine environment on adiposity and fat distribution in later life. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003; 27, 755–777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.MacInnis, RJ, English, DR. Body size and composition and prostate cancer risk: systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Cancer Causes Control. 2006; 17, 989–1003.Google Scholar
23.Pischon, T, Boeing, H, Weikert, S, et al. Body size and risk of prostate cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008; 17, 3252–3261.Google Scholar
24.Wallström, P, Bjartell, A, Gullberg, B, Olsson, H, Wirfält, E. A prospective Swedish study on body size, body composition, diabetes, and prostate cancer risk. Br J Cancer. 2009; 100, 1799–1805.Google Scholar
25.Riboli, E, Hunt, KJ, Slimani, N, et al. European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC): study populations and data collection. PHN. 2002; 5, 1113–1124.Google Scholar
26.Berglund, G, Elmståhl, S, Janzon, L, Larsson, SA. The Malmo diet and Cancer study. Design and feasibility. J Intern Med. 1993; 233, 45–51.Google Scholar
27.Manjer, J, Carlsson, S, Elmstahl, S, et al. The Malmo Diet and Cancer Study: representativity, cancer incidence and mortality in participants and non-participants. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2001; 10, 489–499.Google Scholar
28.Wallström, P, Bjartell, A, Gullberg, B, Olsson, H, Wirfält, E. A prospective study on dietary fat and incidence of prostate cancer (Malmo, Sweden). Cancer Causes Control. 2007; 18, 1107–1121.Google Scholar
29.Statistics Sweden. Occupations in Population and Housing Census 1985, 1985. Statistics Sweden: Stockholm.Google Scholar
30.Lahmann, PH, Gullberg, B, Olsson, H, et al. Birth weight is associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk in Swedish women. Br J Cancer. 2004; 91, 1666–1668.Google Scholar
31.Janerich, DT, Hayden, CL, Thompson, WD, Selenskas, SL, Mettlin, C. Epidemiologic evidence of perinatal influence in the etiology of adult cancers. J Clin Epidemiol. 1989; 42, 151–157.Google Scholar
32.Zhang, Y, Kreger, BE, Dorgan, JF, et al. Parental age at child's birth and son's risk of prostate cancer. The Framingham Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1999; 150, 1208–1212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33.Lawlor, DA, Davey Smith, G, Kundu, D, Bruckdorfer, KR, Ebrahim, S. Those confounded vitamins: what can we learn from the differences between observational versus randomised trial evidence? Lancet. 2004; 363, 1724–1727.Google Scholar
34.Trichopoulos, D. Hypothesis: does breast cancer originate in utero? Lancet. 1990; 335, 939–940.Google Scholar
35.Shibata, A, Minn, AY. Perinatal sex hormones and risk of breast and prostate cancers in adulthood. Epidemiol Rev. 2000; 22, 239–248.Google Scholar
36.Johnson, KJ, Springer, NM, Bielinsky, AK, Largaespada, DA, Ross, JA. Developmental origins of cancer. Cancer Res. 2009; 69, 6375–6377.Google Scholar
37.Risnes, KR, Vatten, LJ, Baker, JL, et al. Birthweight and mortality in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol. 2011; 40, 647–661.Google Scholar