2019/06/22 by Vanessa De Rubeis, Michelle Cotterchio, Brendan T. Smith +5 · 1 citation
Medicine · #Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research #Pancreatitis Pathology and Treatment #Nutrition and Health in Aging
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10552-019-01197-9
openalex publication_date 2019/06/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
PURPOSE: Pancreatic cancer has the highest fatality rate of all cancers. Adulthood obesity is an established risk factor for pancreatic cancer; however, life-course obesity is not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) trajectories throughout the life-course and pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted (2011-2013) in Ontario, Canada. Cases were recruited from the Ontario pancreas cancer study (n = 310) and controls from the Ontario cancer risk factor study (n = 1258). Questionnaires captured self-reported height and weight at four timepoints (adolescence, 20 s, 30-40 s, 50-60 s). BMI trajectories were identified using latent class growth mixture modeling. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Five BMI trajectories were identified: stable-normal weight (38.9%), progressively overweight (42.2%), persistent overweight (12.6%), progressive obesity (4.2%), and persistent obesity (2.1%). The persistent overweight (OR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.02, 2.39) and progressive obesity trajectories (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 0.77, 2.87) compared to stable-normal weight were associated with increased odds of pancreatic cancer. When BMI was evaluated separately the strongest associations with pancreatic cancer emerged in young and mid-adulthood. CONCLUSION: BMI trajectories characterized by overweight in early adulthood were associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk suggesting a life-course approach to disease risk.