DDW 2020: Risk of Lung Cancer in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2020
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease appear to have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, according to a recent study presented as part of the 2020 virtual Digestive Disease Week (DDW; Abstract Mo1800). However, those who receive treatment for their gastrointestinal disorder, particularly biologic agents, seem to be at lower risk of developing lung cancer, according to Motasem Alkhayyat, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, and colleagues. The authors suggest more studies are warranted to understand the efficiency of each therapeutic agent.
Using a commercial database including data from 26 U.S. health-care systems between 2014 to 2019, the investigator identified patients with a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. They performed a statistical analysis for a multivariable model. The analysis was adjusted for factors including age, gender, and race. The biologic agents included infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, and natalizumab.
Of the database’s total of 36,507,000 patients, 141,460 had a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, and 167,240 had a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. In the group with Crohn’s disease, 10,960 patients had primary lung cancer; in the group with ulcerative colitis, 8,000 patients had primary lung cancer. By comparison, 151,970 patients had primary lung cancer among patients with non-inflammatory bowel disease.
Specifically, patients with inflammatory bowel disease were more likely to develop cancer than those without (odds ratio = 5.507; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.392–5.624; P < .0001). “Among the inflammatory bowel disease group, risk predictors of lung cancer were female gender (odds ratio = 2.743; 95% CI = 2.615–2.878; P < .0001), white race (odds ratio = 1.289; 95% CI = 1.198–1.388; P < .0001), smoking (odds ratio = 2.166; 95% CI = 2.079–2.256; P < .0001] and alcohol abuse [odds ratio = 1.236; 95% CI = 1.128–1.355; P < .0001),” the study authors reported.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the authors, visit ddw.apprisor.org.
