Early-life body mass index and risks of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers: a dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies
The evidence for the associations between early-life adiposity and female cancer risks is mixed. Little is known about the exact shape of the relationships and whether the associations are independent of adult adiposity. We conducted dose-response meta-analyses of prospective studies to summarise the relationships of early-life body mass index (BMI) with breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer risks. Pubmed and Embase were searched through June 2020 to identify relevant studies. Using random-effects models, the summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated per 5-kg/m After screening 33,948 publications, 37 prospective studies were included in this analysis. The summary RRs associated with every 5-kg/m With early-life adiposity, our data support an inverse association with breast cancer and positive associations with ovarian and endometrial cancer risks.