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Famine Exposure during Early Life and Risk of Cancer in Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Original Research
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Emerging evidences have explored the association between famine exposure during early life and cancer risk in adulthood, but the results remain controversial and inconsistent. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive evidence on the relation of famine exposure to later cancer risk.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

Relevant reports published up to March, 2022 were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of sciences and Medline databases. Pooled relative ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the effect famine exposure on cancer risk.

Results

Totally, 18 published articles with 6,061,147 subjects were included in this study. Compared with unexposed group, early life famine exposure dramatically increased the risk of cancer in adulthood (RR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22). The pooled RRs were different in terms of sex, exposure severity, exposure period, famine type, study design type and cancer location. A remarkably elevated risk for cancer was discerned in women exposed to famine (RR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18), severe exposure (RR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.02–1.22) and adolescence exposure (RR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.02–2.50), Chinese famine exposure (RR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.29–1.82) and cohort studies (RR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.13–1.42). Moreover, a significant association of early-life famine exposure with increased risk of breast (RR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.05–1.27) and stomach cancers (RR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.24–2.54) was observed.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis suggests that exposure to famine during early life may increase the risk of cancer in adulthood. The above-mentioned association is pronounced in women exposed to famine, severe exposure, adolescence exposure, Chinese famine, cohort studies, breast and stomach cancers. It is essential for decision-makers to take targeted measures for improving population awareness regarding the long-term effect of early life nutritional status.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all participants and teaching staff from Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital for their assistance and support.

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Funding sources This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

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  1. There authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China, No. 107 Huanhu East Road, Hefei, Anhui, China

    J. Zhou, Z. Zuo & Suyi Li

  2. Department of Urology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, Anhui, China

    Y. Dai

  3. Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China

    Ting Liu

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  1. J. Zhou
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Zhou, J., Dai, Y., Zuo, Z. et al. Famine Exposure during Early Life and Risk of Cancer in Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Nutr Health Aging 27, 550–558 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-023-1947-4

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