Although height is known to affectcancer risk, a latest research in the Lancet Oncology shows that taller women have a higher risk of getting at least 10 types of cancer, more than previously thought. They include breast, bowel, ovarian and skin cancer, leukaemia and malignant melanoma.
In females of average height, the overall incidence is 850 cancers per 100,000 women per year. In those around 5ft tall it is 750 cancers per 100,000 women per year. But in those around 5ft 9in, it is about 1,000 cancers per 100,000 women per year.
Researchers led by Dr Jane Green, of Oxford University's cancer epidemiology unit, found that for every extra 4in in height, the risk of breast cancer rose by 17%, of ovarian cancer by the same, and of womb cancer by 19%. The exact reason for the link is unclear, and being tall has also been associated with a lower risk of other conditions, notably heart disease.
Green's team suggested two theories: that hormones linked to growth in childhood could also result in a greater risk of cancer in later years; and that tall people simply have more chance of cancerous cell changes because they have more cells.
"The most likely explanation is that hormonal changes that are related to tallness in women may also be related to growth abnormalities, especially in the breast, that lead to cancer," said Professor Karol Sikora, the medicaldirector of Cancer Partners UK private treatment centers.
"Dietary factors may also be important, especially in relation to the dramatic rise in the incidence of colorectal cancer in tall women."He added.
Sara Hiom of Cancer Research UK said: "Tall people should not be alarmed by these results. Most people are not a lot taller than average, and their height will have only a small effect on their cancer risk."


据英国《卫报》21日报道，众所周知，身高会影响罹患癌症的风险，而最新刊登在《柳叶刀肿瘤学》杂志上的研究表明，高个女性至少在10个类别的癌症上都有较高的患病率，这一数字超出人们之前的认知。 这些癌症包括乳腺癌、直肠癌、卵巢癌、皮肤癌、白血病和恶性黑色素瘤。


10万个中等身材的女性中，每年有850人患癌症；10万个身高为5英尺的女性中有750人患癌症，但是，身高在5英尺9英寸左右的女性，每10万人中每年就有1000例癌症患者。


这项研究由牛津大学癌症流行病学的简•格林博士领导，研究人员发现，女性身高每增长4英寸，患乳腺癌、卵巢癌的几率就提高17%，患子宫癌几率增加19%。这种联系的具体原因尚不明确，个子高有时候还可能会降低罹患其他一些疾病的几率，心脏病就是个典型的例子。


格林博士的团队提出了两个理论：与幼时身体发育有关的荷尔蒙可能也会使日后患上癌症的风险提高；因为个子高的人身体里的细胞更多，所有他们的癌细胞发生病变的几率也就更大。


英国癌症合作组织私人治疗中心的医学主管卡罗尔•西科拉教授说："最有可能的解释是，女性身高与其体内的荷尔蒙变化有一定关联，而且也与发育过程中出现的畸形现象有关系，特别是胸部，这些都会导致癌症。"


"食物因素也很重要，它尤其使得高个女性患结肠癌的风险激增。"他补充说。

英国癌症研究协会的莎拉•荷蒙说："高个子的人也不必对这个结论过于忧虑。大部分人的身高与平均身高相差不多，身高对罹患癌症影响不大。 "

• height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)
• affect [ə´fekt] vt.影响；感动；假装 (初中英语单词)
• cancer [´kænsə] n.癌；毒瘤 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• childhood [´tʃaildhud] n.幼年(时代)；早期 (初中英语单词)
• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)
• medical [´medikəl] a.医学的；医疗的 (初中英语单词)
• director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中英语单词)
• treatment [´tri:tmənt] n.待遇；对待；治疗 (初中英语单词)
• dramatic [drə´mætik] a.戏剧的；戏剧般的 (初中英语单词)
• previously [´pri:viəsli] ad.预先；以前 (高中英语单词)
• oxford [´ɔksfəd] n.牛津 (高中英语单词)
• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
• malignant [mə´lignənt] a.恶意的；有害的 (英语六级单词)
• notably [´nəutəbli] ad.显著地；著名地 (英语六级单词)