Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and obesity: A pooled analysis from the InterLymph Consortium

• Published in: International journal of cancer 2008-05, Vol.122 (9), p.2062-2070
• Main Authors: Willett, Eleanor V., Morton, Lindsay M., Hartge, Patricia, Becker, Nikolaus, Bernstein, Leslie, Boffetta, Paolo, Bracci, Paige, Cerhan, James, Chiu, Brian C.‐H., Cocco, Pierluigi, Dal Maso, Luigino, Davis, Scott, De Sanjose, Silvia, Smedby, Karin Ekstrom, Ennas, Maria Grazia, Foretova, Lenka, Holly, Elizabeth A., La Vecchia, Carlo, Matsuo, Keitaro, Maynadie, Marc, Melbye, Mads, Negri, Eva, Nieters, Alexandra, Severson, Richard, Slager, Susan L., Spinelli, John J., Staines, Anthony, Talamini, Renato, Vornanen, Martine, Weisenburger, Dennis D., Roman, Eve
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; epidemiology; Female; height; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; International Cooperation; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; lymphoma; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse - epidemiology; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - epidemiology; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - etiology; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; non‐Hodgkin lymphoma; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Odds Ratio; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Tumors; weight
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.23344

Nutritional status is known to alter immune function, a suspected risk factor for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). To investigate whether long‐term over, or under, nutrition is associated with NHL, self‐reported anthropometric data on weight and height from over 10,000 cases of NHL and 16,000 controls were pooled across 18 case‐control studies identified through the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium. Study‐specific odds ratios (OR) were estimated using logistic regression and combined usinga random‐effects model. Severe obesity, defined as BMI of 40 kg m−2 or more, was not associated with NHL overall (pooled OR = 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–1.41) or the majority of NHL subtypes. An excess was however observed for diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (pooled OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.24–2.62), although not all study‐specific ORs were raised. Among the overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg m−2) and obese (BMI 30–39.9 kg m−2), associations were elevated in some studies and decreased in others, while no association was observed among the underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg m−2). There was little suggestion of increasing ORs for NHL or its subtypes with every 5 kg m−2 rise in BMI above 18.5 kg m−2. BMI components height and weight were also examined, and the tallest men, but not women, were at marginally increased risk (pooled OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.06–1.34). In summary, whilst we conclude that there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that obesity is a determinant of all types of NHL combined, the association between severe obesity and diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma may warrant further investigation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.