Body mass index and risk of lung cancer among never, former, and current smokers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although obesity has been directly linked to the development of many cancers, many epidemiological studies have found that body mass index (BMI)--a surrogate marker of obesity--is inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer. These studies are difficult to interpret because of potential confounding by cigarette smoking, a major risk factor for lung cancer that is associated with lower BMI.

Methods

We prospectively examined the association between BMI and the risk of lung cancer among 448 732 men and women aged 50-71 years who were recruited during 1995-1996 for the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. BMI was calculated based on the participant's self-reported height and weight on the baseline questionnaire. We identified 9437 incident lu

SUBMITTER: Smith L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3352831 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature