Body fat distribution as a risk factor of endometrial cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relative contributions of upper body fat distribution and overall adiposity to endometrial cancer risk.


METHODS
Subjects were 63 postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer aged less than 70 years and 201 age-matched controls. Age, age at menopause, years since menopause, height, weight, and body mass index were recorded at the time of admission. The trunk-leg fat ratio, body fat mass, trunk fat mass, and the percentage of body fat were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.


RESULTS
Trunk-leg fat ratio was higher in endometrial cancer patients than in controls (1.40 +/- 0.59 vs 1.23 +/- 0.39, p < 0.05). Whereas, other variables including age at menopause, percentage of body fat, body fat mass, and body mass index did not differ between the 2 groups. On stepwise multiple regression analysis, the trunk-leg fat ratio was still correlated with the presence of endometrial cancer (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Upper body fat distribution rather than overall adiposity is associated with endometrial cancer risk.
Iemura
A
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Douchi
T
T
Yamamoto
S
S
Yoshimitsu
N
N
Nagata
Y
Y
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors