Body Mass Index and Risk of Cancer in Men and Women

We conducted a 14-year follow-up study to analyze the hazard ratio (HR) of cancer incidence in relation to body mass index (body weight (kg) / body height (m)? , BMI) and lifestyle-related factors in Saga Prefecture, Japan. The subjects were 2,170 people, who were randomly selected from men and women aged from 40 to 69 years old, and who had completed a standardized questionnaire on lifestyle in 1983. Information about death and corresponding data in 1997 were obtained either by mail and/or through the city or town offices, and we identified cancer subjects by using the list of the Saga Cancer Registry. A total of 239 subjects (160 males and 79 females) were diagnosed as having cancer, revealing a significantly larger population of male victims compared to females. After adjusting for age, physical activ-ity, alcohol consumption and smoking status, a negative relationship was observed between BMI and the risk of stomach cancer in females, and a positive relationship was observed between BMI and the risk of colon cancer in males. In conclusion, in addition to some lifestyle-related factors, BMI was also show to be associated with the risk of some forms of cancer