Is Hydrochlorothiazide Linked to Increased Risk for Skin Cancer?
Posted: Friday, August 14, 2020
The hypertension medication hydrochlorothiazide is known to have photosensitizing properties, and many agencies have suggested its use may be linked to an increased risk for skin cancer. Helga Zoega, PhD, of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia, and colleagues conducted a population-based study in Australia’s most populated state and found an increased risk of both malignant melanoma and lip cancer with hydrochlorothiazide use. Their results were published in Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology.
“The findings are particularly relevant for Australians, given the already high risk of developing skin cancer here,” said Dr. Zoega in a UNSW Sydney press release.
The researchers examined data for patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of lip cancer or invasive malignant melanoma between January 2008 and December 2015. Risk-set sampling was used to match 20 controls per case of lip cancer or malignant melanoma, and similar restrictions were applied for residency, age, and sex. The observed odds ratios were used to estimate the incidence rate ratios. A total of 45 lip cancer cases were matched to 866 controls. Of them, 40% of the patients with lip cancer and 21% of the control patients had received hydrochlorothiazide.
A total of 659 malignant melanoma cases were matched to 12,446 controls. Hydrochlorothiazide was dispensed to 24% of the patients with malignant melanoma and 21% of the controls. High use of hydrochlorothiazide (> 25,000 mg) was observed in 13% of patients with lip cancer and 3% of control patients, compared with 5% of patients with malignant melanoma and 3% of control patients. The investigators observed a twofold increase in the risk of lip cancer in patients who had ever used hydrochlorothiazide and a slightly increased risk of malignant melanoma associated with hydrochlorothiazide use.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
