Anthropometric factors, physical activity, and the risk of soft tissue sarcoma: a case–control study
Menée à partir des données d'une étude italienne portant sur 969 témoins et 498 patients atteints d'un sarcome des tissus mous, cette étude analyse les associations entre des mesures anthropométriques, l'activité physique et le risque de développer la maladie
Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare malignancies with largely unknown etiology; the role of anthropometry and physical activity has been rarely explored.
Methods: We analyzed 2011–2019 data of an Italian, multicenter, hospital-based case–control study including 498 incident, histologically confirmed STS cases and 969 controls. Self-reported height, weight, and physical activity data were collected; hip and waist circumferences were measured in 76% of cases and 61% of controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multiple-adjusted logistic regression models.
Results: Compared with BMI < 25 kg/m2, the ORs for BMI one year prior to diagnosis/interview were 1.05 (95% CI: 0.80–1.37) for 25–29.9 kg/m2 and 1.28 (95% CI: 0.90–1.83) for ≥30 kg/m2. The OR was increased for BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2 at age 30; no association emerged for BMI at age 50 years. For waist circumference, the ORs were 1.93 (95% CI: 1.38–2.70) for >102 cm in males or >88 cm in females, and 3.54 (95% CI: 2.40–5.22) for the highest versus the lowest tertile. For waist-to-hip ratio, the ORs were 1.18 (95% CI: 0.81–1.71) for the intermediate, and 2.81 (95% CI: 1.95–4.03) for the highest tertile. Subjects reporting ≥5 h/week of total or intermediate/high intensity leisure-time physical activity at age 30–39 years had ORs of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.40–1.00) and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.32–1.00), respectively.
Conclusion: These findings show a positive association between abdominal adiposity and STS risk, and an inverse association with regular leisure-time physical activity.
European Journal of Cancer Prevention , article en libre accès, 2026