Body size and the risk of biliary tract cancer: a population-based study in China
2008

Body Size and Biliary Tract Cancer Risk in China

Sample size: 1586 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Hsing A W, Sakoda L C, Rashid A, Chen J, Shen M C, Han T Q, Wang B S, Gao Y T

Primary Institution: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

Hypothesis

What is the relationship between obesity and the risk of biliary tract cancer?

Conclusion

The study found that both overall and abdominal obesity are associated with an increased risk of gall bladder cancer.

Supporting Evidence

  • A higher BMI at all ages was associated with increased gall bladder cancer risk.
  • A high usual adult BMI (≥25) was linked to a 1.6-fold risk of gall bladder cancer.
  • Those with a high BMI and high waist-to-hip ratio had the highest risk of gall bladder cancer.

Takeaway

Being overweight or having a big belly can make you more likely to get gall bladder cancer.

Methodology

A population-based case-control study was conducted with 627 patients and 959 healthy controls, assessing BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.

Potential Biases

Potential disease effects on body size reporting could introduce bias.

Limitations

The study may not be generalizable to Western populations due to differences in obesity prevalence.

Participant Demographics

Participants included 368 gall bladder cancer patients, 191 bile duct cancer patients, and 68 ampulla of Vater cancer patients, with a higher proportion of women diagnosed with gall bladder cancer.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.2–2.1

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604616

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