A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that taller women have a greater risk for developing cancer than their shorter counterparts.  The researchers used data from the Women’s Health Initiative, which collected information from nearly 145,000 women.  They collected information on height, cancer at 19 specific sites, overall incidence of cancer, and established risk factors for cancer.  During the 12-year follow-up period, there were 20,928 incidences of cancer.

After adjusting for established cancer risk factors, the researchers found a significant association between height and incidence of any cancer.  For every 10 cm (3.9 inches), there was a 13 percent increase in the overall risk for cancer.  There was also a 13 to 17 percent higher risk for developing melanoma and breast, ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancers.  There was a 23 to 29 percent increase in the risk for cancers of the kidney, rectum, thyroid, and blood.  There were no taller women that showed a significantly lower risk for cancer than shorter women.

An earlier study in the Lancet Oncology found similar results.  Also studying women, they found a higher overall rate of cancer and increased risk for 15 of the 17 specific cancer sites studied.  This study adjusted for the risk contributed by smoking, but did not take account of other cancer risk factors.  The study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention claims to be the first of these types of studies to do so.  There have also been some studies that have indicated that a higher risk of cancer exists for taller men, though the results are not as straightforward.

It is still unclear as to why there is an increased risk of cancer for taller women.  One possible explanation is that the same growth hormone that contributes to being taller is part of the same pathway that leads to cancer.  They could be related because cancer is essentially a disease related to dysfunctional growth.  Another explanation is that taller people simply have more cells and, with more cells, there are more places for cancer to start.  Finally, researchers believe that height is also representative of early nutritional habits and, somewhere in those habits, there exists a risk factor for cancer that has not yet been identified.

Height is also linked to other health risks.  Taller men, particularly taller, obese men, have a higher risk for blood clots and deep vein thrombosis.  Back pain is also common in taller people, which researchers link to the tendency for taller individuals to slouch.  Fortunately, there are a few positive health outcomes linked to height.  Taller people have been shown to have a lower risk for heart disease, lower risk for respiratory disease, and an overall longer lifespan.