| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
1 Department of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; 2 Department of Epidemiology, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; and 3 Tulane University School of Public Health, New Orleans, Louisiana
Requests for reprints: Thomas P. Erlinger, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, The Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, 2024 E. Monument Avenue, Suite 2-602, Baltimore, MD 21201. Phone: (410) 614-6466; Fax: (410) 955-0476. E-mail: terlinge@jhmi.edu
Inflammation has been shown to be a risk factor for several chronic diseases. Few epidemiologic studies have examined the relationship between markers of inflammation and cancer. The current study included 7,674 Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) participants, 30 to 74 years of age, between 1976 and 1980. Mortality follow-up through December 31, 1992 was assessed using the National Death Index and Social Security Administration Death Master File. A graded association between higher WBC and higher risk of total cancer mortality was observed [highest versus lowest quartile (relative risk [RR] 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-3.23)] after adjusting for age, sex, and race. After further adjustment for smoking, physical activity, body mass index, alcohol intake, education, hematocrit, and diabetes, WBC remained significantly associated (P trend = 0.03) with total cancer mortality [highest versus lowest quartile (RR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.56)]. In stratified analyses, increased WBC was associated with higher risk of non-lung cancer (P trend = 0.04), but not lung cancer (P trend = 0.18). Among never smokers, a 1 SD increase in WBC (2.2 x 109 cells/L) was associated with greater risk of total (RR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05-1.67) and non-lung (RR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.03-1.63) cancer mortality. These findings support the hypothesis that inflammation is an independent risk factor for cancer mortality. Additional studies are needed to determine whether circulating levels of inflammatory markers are associated with increased risk of incident cancer.
Key Words: WBC count • WBC • leukocyte • cancer • inflammation • NHANES • mortality
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  X. Yang, W.-Y. So, R. C W Ma, G. T C Ko, A. P S Kong, Q. Wang, C. S Cockram, C.-C. Chow, J. C N Chan, and P. C Y Tong Predicting values of lipids and white blood cell count for all-site cancer in type 2 diabetes Endocr. Relat. Cancer, June 1, 2008; 15(2): 597 - 607. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. L. Margolis, R. J. Rodabough, C. A. Thomson, A. M. Lopez, A. McTiernan, and for the Women's Health Initiative Research Group Prospective Study of Leukocyte Count as a Predictor of Incident Breast, Colorectal, Endometrial, and Lung Cancer and Mortality in Postmenopausal Women Arch Intern Med, September 24, 2007; 167(17): 1837 - 1844. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Ruggiero, E. J. Metter, A. Cherubini, M. Maggio, R. Sen, S. S. Najjar, G. B. Windham, A. Ble, U. Senin, and L. Ferrucci White Blood Cell Count and Mortality in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., May 8, 2007; 49(18): 1841 - 1850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Suzuki, Y. Ito, K. Wakai, M. Kawado, S. Hashimoto, N. Seki, M. Ando, Y. Nishino, T. Kondo, Y. Watanabe, et al. Serum heat shock protein 70 levels and lung cancer risk: a case-control study nested in a large cohort study. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., September 1, 2006; 15(9): 1733 - 1737. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Shankar, J. J. Wang, E. Rochtchina, M. C. Yu, R. Kefford, and P. Mitchell Association Between Circulating White Blood Cell Count and Cancer Mortality: A Population-Based Cohort Study Arch Intern Med, January 23, 2006; 166(2): 188 - 194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. H. Jee, J. Y. Park, H.-S. Kim, T. Y. Lee, and J. M. Samet White Blood Cell Count and Risk for All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality in a Cohort of Koreans Am. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2005; 162(11): 1062 - 1069. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Cancer Research | Clinical Cancer Research |
| Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention | Molecular Cancer Therapeutics |
| Molecular Cancer Research | Cancer Prevention Research |
| Cancer Prevention Journals Portal | Cancer Reviews Online |
| Annual Meeting Education Book | Cell Growth & Differentiation |
