Taller people more likely to develop cancer, say researchers

Taller people have an increased chance of developing cancer, according to the preliminary results of a study conducted by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

In the largest study of its kind, researchers analysed data from 5.5 million people born between 1938 and 1991, with heights ranging from 100cm (3ft 3in) to 225cm (7ft 6in).

They discovered that the risk of women developing cancer of any kind increased by 18 per cent for every 10cm of height. The increase was lower for men at 11 per cent.

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However, lead researcher Dr Emelie Benyi stressed that the findings reflect cancer incidences on a population level. "As the cause of cancer is multifactorial, it is difficult to predict what impact our results have on cancer risk at the individual level," she said.

Scientists suggest that the link between height and the disease could be due to increased levels of growth hormone or because taller people simply have more cells in their bodies.

It is "very plausible" that the risk of cancer is related to cell number, said Professor Dorothy Bennett, who teaches at University of London and was not involved in the study.

"A cancer arises by mutations from a single normal cell. Bigger people have more cells (not bigger cells)," she told the BBC. "So melanoma risk, for example, might be expected to increase with surface area (amount of skin), which is related to the square of height."

But cancer charities have warned that the study did not consider many of the risk factors, such as smoking, high alcohol consumption and an unhealthy diet.

"Whatever your height, there are lots of things you can do to reduce the risk of cancer," said Sarah Williams, health information manager at Cancer Research UK.

"Not smoking, cutting down on alcohol, eating healthily, being active, having a healthy weight and enjoying the sun safely can each help you stack the odds against the disease."