Maternal Obesity and Pregnancy Weight Gain and Colorectal Cancer Risk in Offspring
Douglas K. Rex, MD, MASGE, reviewing Murphy CC, et al. Gut 2021 Aug 24.
This study utilized a database of women and their prenatal care between 1959 and 1966, involving 18,751 live births and 14,507 mothers.
Sixty-eight offspring developed colorectal cancer (CRC) over 738,048 person-years of follow-up, with half diagnosed before age 50 years. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for CRC in offspring was 2.51 with maternal obesity and 2.12 with maternal overweight. Total weight gain during pregnancy was also associated with increased risk. The aHRs for total weight gain at the median of the third and fourth quartiles were 2.09 and 2.54, respectively. Compared with average birth weight (2000 to 3999 g), high birth weight (≥4000 g; aHR, 1.95) was associated with increased CRC risk.
COMMENTIf confirmed, given the increasing prevalence of maternal obesity and greater weight gain during pregnancy, these results suggest a risk for future increases in CRC rates.
Note to readers: At the time we reviewed this paper, its publisher noted that it was not in final form and that subsequent changes might be made.
CITATION(S)
Murphy CC, Cirillo PM, Krigbaum NY, et al. Maternal obesity, pregnancy weight gain, and birth weight and risk of colorectal cancer. Gut 2021 Aug 24. (Epub ahead of print) (https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325001)
