Sydney, Mar 6: A new study at Queensland Institute of Medical Research has found that taller women are at an increased risk of developing melanoma skin cancer.

The researchers reviewed eight studies involving almost 5000 women with half of them suffering from melanoma.

The findings revealed that one-quarter of the taller women were 30 per cent more likely to have melanoma than women with short height.

"We found this risk greater among women less than 50 years of age," News. com. au quoted study leader Dr Catherine Olsen, as saying.

The researchers suggest that height could be associated with hormones that play a vital role in the development of cancer.

She said it might be due to more time spent by taller women in sun could also contribute to the risk however there is little proof of this

Previous studies have shown that taller women are also prone to developing breast and colon cancer.

The study also found that gaining 2kg or more in weight increased melanoma risk by 50 per cent.

Olsen said that weight gain could add on to the risk by affecting hormone metabolism.

The study appears in International Journal of Cancer. (ANI)