ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A multicenter case-control study was conducted. A total of 1506 cases of colorectal cancer (936 males and 570 females), whose clinical data were complete and aged from 30 to 75, were collected in the Third, First and Second People's Hospital of Jingdezhen between 2000 and 2009. A total of 3354 controls (1766 males and 1588 females) were subjects admitted to the above 3 hospitals as cases with acute non-malignant non-digestive diseases. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between metabolic syndrome and its components and colorectal cancer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty-eight cases of colorectal cancer (3.2%) and 59 controls (1.8%) were diagnosed as metabolic syndrome. Colorectal cancer risk was increased in cases with metabolic syndrome (OR=1.64, 95% CI:1.14-2.49, P<0.05) and in men with metabolic syndrome (OR=1.92, 95% CI:1.27-3.78, P<0.05), but not in women (P>0.05). As the number of component of metabolic syndrome increased, the risk of colorectal cancer increased in men (P<0.01), but not in women (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Association between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer exists in men, but not in women.</p>