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Session: Exemplary Trainee Abstracts in Obesity Science Research (Poster Theater Flash Session 4)

(PTFS04-04-23) Associations Between an Extreme Obesity Phenotype and Endometrial Cancer – Findings From the UK Biobank Prospective Cohort Study

Sunday, July 23, 2023
10:17 AM – 10:21 AM ET
Location:  Fairfax
Disclosure(s):
Solange L. Parra-Soto, PhD (c): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Fiona C. Malcomson, Dr.: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship across the range of adiposity with endometrial cancer incidence and mortality accounting for potential non-linear associations.

Methods: This study included 197,351 women (mean age 56.1 years) from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study. The median follow-up was 8.3 years (interquartile range (IQR) 7.5 to 9.0) for cancer incidence and 10.1 years (IQR: 9.4 to 10.8) for cancer mortality. Body mass index was the exposure. Endometrial cancer incidence and mortality were the outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models were used with each of the exposure variables fitted separately on penalised cubic splines. Rate advancement periods were used to estimate the number of additional chronological years that would be required to yield the equivalent risk rate, among individuals in the highest BMI categories compared with individuals with normal weight.

Results: During follow-up, 1,066 individuals developed endometrial cancer and 154 died from it. For endometrial cancer incidence, when compared with normal weight individuals (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), those with overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2) had a 58% higher risk (HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.33-1.87), those with obesity class I (BMI 30-34.9 kg/m2) had 2.43 more risk (HR: 2.43, 95% CI: 2.01 to 2.914), those with obesity class II (BMI 35-39.9 kg/m2) had 5.08 more risk (HR: 5.08, 95% CI: 4.09 to 6.31) and people with obesity type III (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) had 10.42 more risk (HR: 10.42, 95% CI: 8.25 to 13.16). Similar risks were found for mortality. People with obesity type III (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) reached equivalent incidence and mortality rates to normal weight individuals 30.5 and 15.4 years early, respectively.

Conclusions: A strong exponential association was observed between BMI and risk of endometrial cancer independent of major confounding factors. Prevention strategies aiming to lower rates of overweight and obesity should be a priority for endometrial cancer prevention.

Funding Sources: S.P.-S. received financial support from the Chilean Government for doing their PhD (ANID-Becas Chile).