TY - JOUR
T1 - Early-life anthropometry and colorectal cancer risk in adulthood
T2 - Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global) systematic literature review and meta-analysis of prospective studies
AU - van Zutphen, Moniek
AU - Verkaar, Auke J. C. F.
AU - van Duijnhoven, Fraenzel J. B.
AU - Voortman, Trudy
AU - Baskin, Monica L.
AU - Chowdhury, Rajiv
AU - Copson, Ellen
AU - Lewis, Sarah J.
AU - Hill, Lynette
AU - Krebs, John
AU - Weijenberg, Matty P.
AU - Seidell, Jacob C.
AU - Park, Yikyung
AU - Baker, Jennifer L.
AU - Amiri, Mojgan
AU - de Crom, Tosca O. E.
AU - Llanaj, Erand
AU - Meulenbeld, Amber
AU - Lara, Macarena
AU - Mou, Yuchan
AU - Gordon-Dseagu, Vanessa L. Z.
AU - Gonzalez-Gil, Esther M.
AU - Markozannes, Georgios
AU - Tsilidis, Konstantinos K.
AU - Chan, Doris S. M.
AU - Kampman, Ellen
AU - Kok, Dieuwertje E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.
PY - 2025/5/28
Y1 - 2025/5/28
N2 - While adult anthropometric measures are well-studied in relation to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, the impact of early-life anthropometry remains unclear. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis examining early-life anthropometry, including birth size, height and adiposity and adult CRC risk. We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science and CENTRAL. Early-life stages were categorised as at birth, infancy (0 to <2 years), childhood (2 to 9 years), adolescence (10 to 19 years) and young adulthood (18 to 25 years). Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted when ≥3 prospective observational studies provided sufficient information; otherwise, results were descriptively synthesised. We included 37 publications, and evidence was graded by the Global Cancer Update Programme Expert Panel. Higher birthweight (relative risk [RR] per 1000 g: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.16; 8 studies, 8134 cases) and young adult body mass index (BMI, RR per 5 kg/m
2: 1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.17; 16 studies, 20,365 cases) were associated with higher CRC risk. Associations for young adult BMI were most pronounced for colon cancer (RR per 5 kg/m
2: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06–1.24). Descriptive synthesis showed that childhood and adolescent BMI were also associated with higher colon and/or CRC risk. Evidence for all the above associations was graded by the Expert Panel as “strong-probable.” Additionally, there was “limited-suggestive” evidence linking higher birthweight to higher colon cancer risk, taller childhood height to higher CRC risk, early-life adiposity—measured by BMI pictograms—to higher colon and CRC risk and higher young adult BMI to rectal cancer risk. Other exposure-outcome associations were graded as “limited-no conclusion.” Altogether, these results imply that larger body size during early life is associated with higher adult CRC risk.
AB - While adult anthropometric measures are well-studied in relation to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, the impact of early-life anthropometry remains unclear. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis examining early-life anthropometry, including birth size, height and adiposity and adult CRC risk. We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science and CENTRAL. Early-life stages were categorised as at birth, infancy (0 to <2 years), childhood (2 to 9 years), adolescence (10 to 19 years) and young adulthood (18 to 25 years). Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted when ≥3 prospective observational studies provided sufficient information; otherwise, results were descriptively synthesised. We included 37 publications, and evidence was graded by the Global Cancer Update Programme Expert Panel. Higher birthweight (relative risk [RR] per 1000 g: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.16; 8 studies, 8134 cases) and young adult body mass index (BMI, RR per 5 kg/m
2: 1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.17; 16 studies, 20,365 cases) were associated with higher CRC risk. Associations for young adult BMI were most pronounced for colon cancer (RR per 5 kg/m
2: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06–1.24). Descriptive synthesis showed that childhood and adolescent BMI were also associated with higher colon and/or CRC risk. Evidence for all the above associations was graded by the Expert Panel as “strong-probable.” Additionally, there was “limited-suggestive” evidence linking higher birthweight to higher colon cancer risk, taller childhood height to higher CRC risk, early-life adiposity—measured by BMI pictograms—to higher colon and CRC risk and higher young adult BMI to rectal cancer risk. Other exposure-outcome associations were graded as “limited-no conclusion.” Altogether, these results imply that larger body size during early life is associated with higher adult CRC risk.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105006916813
U2 - 10.1002/ijc.35461
DO - 10.1002/ijc.35461
M3 - Article
C2 - 40432531
SN - 0020-7136
VL - 157
SP - 1094
EP - 1109
JO - International Journal of Cancer
JF - International Journal of Cancer
IS - 6
ER -
