An increase in childhood body mass index (BMI) may raise the risk of endometrial cancer, according to a study recently published in Nutrición Hospitalaria.
Globally, the number of cases of endometrial cancer continues to rise, representing approximately 4.5% of cancers among the female population. To arrest this increase, scientists are attempting to identify possible risk factors that can be modified prior to the development of endometrial cancer.
Obesity is an established risk factor for endometrial cancer, with the number of cases also growing worldwide, particularly among children. Studies indicate that the incidence of endometrial cancer has increased among young women with obesity. However, the subject of whether childhood obesity increases the risk of endometrial cancer remains controversial.
A team of researchers used the Mendelian randomization method to investigate if childhood obesity could potentially contribute to an increased risk of endometrial cancer. They identified 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are linked to childhood obesity as measured by the BMI (SNPs are variations in the DNA sequence associated with a particular patient characteristic). They then proceeded to assess if these obesity-linked SNPs were associated with a heightened risk of developing endometrial cancer.
Read more about endometrial cancer signs and symptoms
The results of this study, performed with careful statistical analysis, demonstrated a strong association between childhood BMI and the risk of developing endometrial cancer; this was true using the weighted median and inverse variance weighted methods of analyzing potentially causal relationships between two variables. However, the Mendelian randomization-Egger and weighted mode methods, regarded as less precise than the earlier methods described, did not support a causal relationship between childhood obesity and endometrial cancer.
”In conclusion, applying a two-sample [Mendelian randomization] study, we found childhood-BMI causally contributed to an increased risk of [endometrial cancer],” the authors of the study wrote. “Our results suggested the importance of weight control for obese children to reduce their risk of [endometrial cancer] in the adult stage.”
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