Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40987470›Full record

ArticleJournal of the National Cancer Institute2025

Adiposity distribution and risks of 12 obesity-related cancers: a Mendelian randomization analysis.

Emma Hazelwood, Lucy J Goudswaard, Matthew A Lee, Marina Vabistsevits, Dimitri J Pournaras, Hermann Brenner, Daniel D Buchanan, Stephen B Gruber, Andrea Gsur, Li Li and 11 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Emma HazelwoodMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-4888-6037
Lucy J GoudswaardMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1481-6871
Matthew A LeeNutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC- WHO), Lyon, France.ORCID 0000-0001-6262-3447
Marina VabistsevitsMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Dimitri J PournarasDepartment of Upper GI and Bariatric/Metabolic Surgery, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-8798-920X
Hermann BrennerDivision of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6129-1572
Daniel D BuchananColorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2225-6675
Stephen B GruberDepartment of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research and Center for Precision Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8656-7822
Andrea GsurCenter for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-9795-1528
Li LiDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-1802-9517
Ludmila VodickovaInstitute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-8277-539X
Robert C GrantDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
N Jewel SamadderDivision of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States.ORCID 0009-0003-9740-9696
Nicholas J TimpsonMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Marc J GunterNutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC- WHO), Lyon, France.ORCID 0000-0001-5472-6761
Benjamin Schuster-BöcklerLudwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
James YarmolinskyDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-4371-0873
Tom G RichardsonMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-7918-2040
Heinz FreislingNutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC- WHO), Lyon, France.ORCID 0000-0001-8648-4998
Neil MurphyNutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC- WHO), Lyon, France.
Emma E VincentMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-8917-7384

Funding

Epidemiologic StudiesU19CA148065 · NCI · HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI AHSAN, HABIBUL, BRUGGE, JOAN SIEFERT · 2010 to 2014
$10.6M
Ceramides as novel drivers of metabolic dysfunction and colorectal cancerU01CA272529 · NCI · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · PI Mary Christine Playdon, SCOTT A SUMMERS · 2022 to 2026
$4.7M
Cancer Research UK PRCPJT-May22\100028Cancer Research UK 25 C18281/A29019Cancer Research UK Population Research Committee Studentship C18281/A30905CRUK Integrative Cancer Epidemiology Programme C18281/A29019Czech Health Research Council NU21-03-00145French National Cancer Institute INCa_19794Integrative Cancer Epidemiology ProgrammeMedical Research CouncilMedical Research Council MC_UU_00032/03Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology UnitNCI NIH HHS U01 CA272529NCI NIH HHS U19 CA148065University of BristolWorld Cancer Research FundWorld Cancer Research Fund International IIG_FULL_2024_029World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThere is convincing evidence that overall adiposity increases the risks of several cancers. Whether the distribution of adiposity plays a similar role is unclear.

methodsWe used 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine causal relationships of 5 adiposity distribution traits (abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT); visceral adipose tissue (VAT); gluteofemoral adipose tissue (GFAT); liver fat; and pancreas fat) with the risks of 12 obesity-related cancers (endometrial, ovarian, breast, colorectal, pancreas, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney (renal cell), thyroid, gallbladder, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and meningioma).

resultsSample size across all genome-wide association studies (GWAS) ranged from 8407 to 728 896 (median: 57 249). We found evidence that higher genetically predicted ASAT increased the risks of endometrial cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma (odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) per standard deviation (SD) higher ASAT = 1.79 (1.18 to 2.71), 3.83 (1.39 to 10.53), and 2.34 (1.15 to 4.78), respectively). Conversely, we found evidence that higher genetically predicted GFAT decreased the risks of breast cancer and meningioma (ORs and 95% CIs per SD higher genetically predicted GFAT = 0.77 (0.62 to 0.97) and 0.53 (0.32 to 0.90), respectively). We also found evidence for an effect of higher genetically predicted VAT and liver fat on increased liver cancer risk (ORs and 95% CIs per SD higher genetically predicted adiposity trait = 4.29 (1.41 to 13.07) and 4.09 (2.29 to 7.28), respectively). DISCUSSION: Our analyses provide novel insights into the relationship between adiposity distribution and cancer risk. These insights highlight the potential importance of adipose tissue distribution alongside maintaining a healthy weight for cancer prevention.

Indexed as

AdiposityNeoplasmsObesityBreast NeoplasmsEndometrial NeoplasmsEsophageal NeoplasmsFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansLiver NeoplasmsMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisOdds RatioPolymorphism, Single NucleotideRisk Factors

Identifiers

PMID40987470
PMCPMC12682385

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.