Why Are Tall People at a Greater Risk of Cancer?

While some people dream of acquiring a few extra inches of height, a new report from the University of California Riverside suggests that taller than average humans are carry a greater risk of developing cancer.

The world's second leading cause of death, cancer will be responsible for an estimated 10 million deaths in 2018. Now, scientists are claiming that because of the presence of more cells in the body, tall people are more at risk of cancer. This is simply because additional cells increase the chances of dangerous mutations, which can lead to the growth of dangerous tumours.

Extra height exponentially increases risk of cancerous tumours

Specifically, the research suggests that for every additional 10cm of height over the typical range, the risk of developing cancerous tumours increases by 10%. Similar studies have found the same trend in dogs, with larger breeds often afflicted by cancer and other diseases.

In the past, scientists have explored several different explanations for the link between height and cancer, including the idea that growth hormones can affect both height and the development of malignant cells. Environmental factors such as illness and nutrition could also play a role.

“One of the major hypotheses was that something was happening early in life that was making your cells more susceptible to cancer and, sort of incidentally, causing you to be tall,” said Leonard Nunney, professor of biology at the University of California Riverside.

Increased cell division linked to mutations

After analysing data and crunching the numbers, Nunney maintains that it could all boil down to a simple matter of height. Tall humans have more cells and therefore undergo more divisions, which in turn increases the risk of mutations.

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B and reveal that overall, extra height increases the risk of developing 18 out of 23 cancers explored in the study.

Health experts stress lifestyle factors are still key

While the link is scientifically legitimate, Georgina Hill of Cancer Research UK says Brits shouldn't be concerned about their height. “A number of studies over the years have shown that taller people seem to have a slightly higher risk of cancer,” she says. “But the increased risk is small and there’s plenty you can do to reduce the risk of developing cancer, such as not smoking and keeping a healthy weight.”

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