title: A prospective study of measured body size and height and risk of keratinocyte cancers and melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The potential influence of measured body weight and height on keratinocyte skin cancer risk has scarcely been studied. Some evidence indicates melanoma risk increases as self-reported height increases, but an association with body mass index (BMI) is less certain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured body weight and height of 1171 Australian men and women in a community-based skin cancer study in Queensland and prospectively examined the association of BMI, body surface area (BSA) and height and incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma while accounting for skin phenotype, sun exposure, clinical/cutaneous signs of chronic photodamage and other risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 16 years of follow-up, 334 and 188 participants newly developed BCC and SCC, respectively; 28 participants were diagnosed with primary melanoma. BMI and BSA were unrelated to skin cancer incidence. After full adjustment, height was significantly associated with SCC development in men (relative risk (RR)=1.66; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.11-2.48, for ≥175cm vs ≤171cm, Ptrend=0.017), and BCC in women (Ptrend=0.043). Melanoma in men, was similarly positively associated with height (RR per 5cm increment=1.55; 95%CI 0.97-2.47, P=0.067) though not significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that after adjusting for sun exposure tall stature may be a risk factor for the most common types of skin cancer BCC, SCC, and melanoma, while body mass and surface area appear unrelated to risk.
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, Australia; Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany. Electronic address: plahmann@gmx.de.
authors.forename: Petra H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lahmann
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Maria Celia B
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston, Australia.
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, Australia; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Adèle C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height; D049628:Body Size; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011793:Queensland; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: BMI; BSA; Epidemiology; Height; Longitudinal study; Melanoma; Skin cancer