Oral Glucocorticoids and Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): A Ø Jensen, H F Thomsen, M C Engebjerg, A B Olesen, S Friis, M R Karagas, H T Sørensen
Primary Institution: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital
Hypothesis
Is the use of oral glucocorticoids associated with an increased risk of developing skin cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?
Conclusion
The study found a slight increase in the risk of basal cell carcinoma associated with oral glucocorticoid use, particularly with longer duration of use.
Supporting Evidence
- Users of oral glucocorticoids had an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.15 for basal cell carcinoma.
- The risk of squamous cell carcinoma increased with the amount of glucocorticoids prescribed.
- Longer duration of glucocorticoid use was associated with a higher risk of basal cell carcinoma.
Takeaway
People who take certain medications called glucocorticoids might have a slightly higher chance of getting skin cancer, especially if they use them for a long time.
Methodology
A population-based case-control study was conducted using data from the Danish Cancer Registry and the Prescription Database, with conditional logistic regression to estimate incidence rate ratios.
Potential Biases
Potential surveillance bias may have influenced cancer diagnosis rates among glucocorticoid users.
Limitations
The study relied on filled prescriptions as a proxy for actual drug use, which may lead to misclassification of non-users as users.
Participant Demographics
The median age of cases was 68 years for basal cell carcinoma, 77 years for squamous cell carcinoma, 58 years for malignant melanoma, and 64 years for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.07–1.25 for BCC
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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