gms | German Medical Science

Kongress Medizin und Gesellschaft 2007

17. bis 21.09.2007, Augsburg

Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, body mass and the risk of colorectal cancer in a population-based case-control study from Germany

Meeting Abstract

  • Michael Hoffmeister - Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg
  • Elke Raum - Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg
  • Johannes Winter - St. Vincentiuskrankenhaus, Speyer
  • Jenny Chang-Claude - Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg
  • Hermann Brenner - Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg

Kongress Medizin und Gesellschaft 2007. Augsburg, 17.-21.09.2007. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2007. Doc07gmds160

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/gmds2007/07gmds160.shtml

Published: September 6, 2007

© 2007 Hoffmeister et al.
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Outline

Text

Background: Previous studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the modifying effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the association of body mass index (BMI) and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among postmenopausal women [1], [2], [3].

Methods: We assessed use of HRT and BMI in 208 postmenopausal women with histologically confirmed incident CRC and 246 controls in a population-based case-control study in the southwest of Germany (DACHS study). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the role of HRT in the association of BMI and the risk of CRC.

Results: Ever use of HRT was strongly associated with reduction of CRC risk (adjusted odds ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.25-0.67). HRT use was not associated with reduction of CRC risk among women with BMI <23 kg/m2 (1.19, 0.39-3.66), whereas strong risk reduction was observed among all other BMI groups (23-<25, 25-<27, 27-<30, 30+ kg/m2). Among nonusers of HRT, risk of CRC was strongly increased in women with BMI 27-<30 kg/m2 (2.76, 1.07-7.12) and obese women (3.30, 1.25-8.72), when compared with women with BMI <23 kg/m2 (p for trend=0.01). BMI was not associated with risk of CRC among HRT users (p for interaction <0.01).

Conclusions: The association of postmenopausal HRT use with the risk of CRC was compatible with existing evidence reported from other countries. In contrast to results from other countries, a positive association of BMI and CRC risk was found among nonusers of HRT, but not among users of HRT, which raises the question whether risk reduction of CRC associated with HRT use might neutralize the increase in risk of CRC associated with increasing BMI. The reasons for the inconsistency of results regarding the role of HRT in the association of BMI with CRC require further study.


References

1.
Slattery ML, Ballard-Barbash R, Edwards S, Caan BJ, Potter JD. Body mass index and colon cancer: an evaluation of the modifying effects of estrogen (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 2003;14:75-84.
2.
Lin J, Zhang SM, Cook NR, Rexrode KM, Lee IM, Buring JE. Body mass index and risk of colorectal cancer in women (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 2004;15:581-9.
3.
Pischon T, Lahmann PH, Boeing H, Friedenreich C, Norat T, Tjonneland A, et al. Body size and risk of colon and rectal cancer in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). J Nat Cancer Inst. 2006;98:920-31.