Table 1.
Age-adjusted characteristics according to tertiles of selected hormones and SHBG in men
| Estradiol |
Estrone |
Testosterone |
SHBG |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertile 1 | Tertile 2 | Tertile 3 | Tertile 1 | Tertile 2 | Tertile 3 | Tertile 1 | Tertile 2 | Tertile 3 | Tertile 1 | Tertile 2 | Tertile 3 | |
| Number of cases | 125 | 126 | 119 | 124 | 131 | 115 | 125 | 126 | 119 | 124 | 124 | 122 |
| Age at diagnosis1, years | 71.2 (9.1) | 72.1 (9.0) | 73.7 (8.4) | 71.0 (8.2) | 72.1 (9.7) | 74.0 (8.5) | 71.2 (9.1) | 72.1 (9.0) | 73.7 (8.4) | 69.9 (9.6) | 72.6 (8.2) | 74.5 (8.2) |
| Body mass index2, kg/m2 | 25.9 (3.2) | 26.4 (3.2) | 26.7 (3.8) | 26.1 (3.5) | 26.1 (3.4) | 26.7 (4.0) | 26.8 (3.3) | 26.2 (3.7) | 25.4 (3.1) | 26.9 (3.6) | 26.5 (3.2) | 25.2 (3.1) |
| Being physically active3, % | 77 | 75 | 75 | 82 | 77 | 71 | 77 | 75 | 75 | 71 | 78 | 80 |
| C-peptide, ng/ml | 3.4 (2.7) | 3.0 (2.1) | 2.7 (2.2) | 3.3 (2.3) | 3.0 (2.7) | 2.9 (2.4) | 3.4 (2.7) | 3.0 (2.1) | 2.7 (2.2) | 3.2 (2.6) | 2.6 (1.9) | 3.0 (2.5) |
| Tumor location, % | ||||||||||||
| Proximal colon | 67 | 69 | 68 | 65 | 71 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 68 | 71 | 68 | 59 |
| Distal colon | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 29 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 28 | 29 |
| Rectum | 10 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 12 |
| Tumor differentiation grade, % | ||||||||||||
| Well | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 17 |
| Moderate | 67 | 72 | 67 | 65 | 73 | 67 | 67 | 72 | 67 | 67 | 78 | 53 |
| Poor | 25 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 14 | 30 |
| Tumor stage % | ||||||||||||
| Stage 1 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 8 |
| Stage 2 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 12 |
| Stage 3 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 24 |
| Stage 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown4 | 57 | 52 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 57 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 52 | 55 |
| Tumor metastasized, % | 20 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 18 | 27 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 21 |
| Years between blood drawn and cancer diagnosis | 5.5 (3.4) | 5.1 (3.0) | 6.0 (3.5) | 5.7 (3.2) | 5.8 (3.3) | 5.3 (3.7) | 5.5 (3.4) | 5.1 (3.0) | 6.0 (3.5) | 5.6 (3.6) | 5.9 (3.5) | 5.4 (3.3) |
Values were means (SD) or percentages and were age-adjusted.
Age at diagnosis is not age-adjusted. We created the tertile categories for estradiol (<24, 24–30, ≥30 pg/ml), estrone (<31, 31–42, ≥42 pg/ml), testosterone (<376, 376–501, ≥501 ng/dl) and SHBG (<20, 20–27, ≥27 ng/dl).
Body mass index before colorectal cancer diagnosis was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.
Being physically active is defined as at least 3 METS-hours/week (approximately equal 1 hr brisk walking per week) in the Nurse’s Health Study, the Women’s Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study; and engage in a regular program of exercise vigorous enough to work up a sweat with the frequency of less than 1 day per week in the Physician’s Health Study II.
Stage information was not available in the Physician’s Health Study II.
Abbreviation: SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin.