Childhood obesity raises bladder cancer risk, study looking at 315,000 children suggests

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/tfg-cor051820.php

News Release 19-May-2020
Taylor & Francis Group


Adults who were overweight in childhood may be at greater risk of developing bladder cancer, according to new findings published in Annals of Human Biology.

One of the first studies of its kind, based on more than 315,000 children in Denmark, shows body size is associated with getting the disease later in life. A body mass index (BMI) increase above average during childhood, high/low birth weight, and below average height also increase the odds.

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The risk of developing the disease later in life was for example ten per cent higher for a 13-year-old boy of average height (154.5 cm or 5ft) whose BMI increased 5.9kg above normal (the equivalent of 42.5kg).

Conversely, a boy the same age and 8cm taller than average (162.5 cm or 5ft 3ins) had a six per cent lower risk of being diagnosed, according to the research.

A child with a low birth weight (2.5kg) had a 26 per cent higher risk, and was 36 per cent higher for large babies (4.5kg) compared to children with an average birth weight (3.5 kg).

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