title: Is maternal height a risk factor for breast cancer?
abstract: We hypothesize that the link between height and the risk of breast cancer may, to some extent, be accounted for by an association between maternal height and the risk of breast cancer. Unlike mothers of smaller stature, among taller mothers, maternal size does not impose constraints on fetal growth, thus allowing growth-enhancing pregnancy hormones, including estriol and insulin-like growth factors, to exercise their growth potential and be positively associated with birth size and, thus, the risk of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. pdlagiou@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Pagona
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lagiou
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trichopoulos
authors.forename: Chung-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018568:Crown-Rump Length; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors