We are a dedicated research group of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Regensburg and the Nutrition and Metabolism branch of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon. Our research interest is to investigate lifestyle factors such as body fat distribution, diet, and physical activity in relation to long-term cancer prognosis.
We currently have two exciting research projects: ShapeSurv and PaCoCanS.
Although higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased incidence of various cancers, there is conflicting evidence on whether higher BMI before diagnosis is associated with worse or better survival.
This obesity paradox makes it difficult to formulate clear recommendations for weight management in cancer patients.
We recently derived new body shape phenotypes that were associated with 17 different cancer types.
In this project, we will further investigate how body shape is linked to survival and risk of second primary cancer.
Published manuscripts:
- Multi-Trait Body Shape Phenotypes and Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women: A Causal Mediation Analysis in the UK Biobank Cohort
- Tissue-specific genetic variation suggests distinct molecular pathways between body shape phenotypes and colorectal cancer
Physical (in)activity and cardiometabolic disease contribute to cancer risk and prognosis. However, it is still unclear whether cancer risk is equally influenced by physical activity and physical inactivity in people with and without cardiometabolic disease.
Published manuscripts:
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