title: Comparison of anthropometric measurements of adiposity in relation to cancer risk: a systematic review of prospective studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In epidemiology, the relationship between increased adiposity and cancer risk has long been recognized. However, whether the association is the same for measures of abdominal or whole body adiposity is unclear. The aim of this systematic review is to compare cancer risk, associated with body mass index (BMI), an indicator of whole body adiposity, with indicators of abdominal adiposity in studies in which these indicators have been directly measured.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic search from 1974 (EMBASE) and 1988 (PubMed) to September 2015 with keywords related to adiposity and cancer. Included studies were limited to cohort studies reporting directly measured anthropometry and performing mutually adjusted analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen articles were identified, with two reporting on breast cancer, three on colorectal cancer, three on endometrial cancer, two on gastro-oesophageal cancer, two on renal cancer, one on ovarian cancer, one on bladder cancer, one on liver and biliary tract cancer and one on leukaemia. Evidence suggests that abdominal adiposity is a stronger predictor than whole body adiposity for gastro-oesophageal, leukaemia and liver and biliary tract cancer in men and women and for renal cancer in women. Abdominal adiposity was a stronger predictor for bladder and colorectal cancer in women, while only BMI was a predictor in men. In contrast, BMI appears to be a stronger predictor for ovarian cancer. For breast and endometrial cancer, both measures were predictors for cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only few studies used mutually adjusted and measured anthropometric indicators when studying adiposity-cancer associations. Further research investigating cancer risk and adiposity should include more accurate non-invasive indicators of body fat deposition and focus on the understudied cancer types, namely leukaemia, ovarian, bladder and liver and biliary tract cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Josefine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Ridder
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.|Dietary Exposure Assessment Group (DEX), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon Cedex 08, France.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Julián-Almárcegui
authors.affiliation: Dietary Exposure Assessment Group (DEX), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon Cedex 08, France.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mullee
authors.affiliation: Biomarkers Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon Cedex 08, France.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Herck
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.|Department of Physiatrist and Nursing, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain.
authors.forename: German
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vicente-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. huybrechtsi@iarc.fr.|Dietary Exposure Assessment Group (DEX), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon Cedex 08, France. huybrechtsi@iarc.fr.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huybrechts
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk
keywords: Adiposity; Anthropometry; Cancer; Neoplasm