Prospective study of association of adiposity and risks of gastrointestinal cancers in China

The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank study included 0.5 million adults (aged 30-79 years) from 10 regions in China. At inclusion participants’ body size and composition were measured. After > 10 years of follow-up, 2350, 3345, and 3059 incident cases of esophageal, stomach, and colorectal cancers were recorded, respectively. Baseline general adiposity was inversely associated with risk of esophageal and stomach cancers, and positively associated with risk of colorectal cancer. Fat-free mass was inversely associated with esophageal cancer and positively with colorectal cancer, while high BMI at age 25 was positively associated with all three cancers. After adjustment, general adiposity remained inversely associated with esophageal and stomach cancer, while central adiposity remained positively associated with colorectal cancer.