Use of benzodiazepine and risk of cancer: A meta‐analysis of observational studies

Several observational epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent results on the association between the use of benzodiazepine and the risk of cancer. We investigated the association by using a meta‐analysis. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the bibliographies of relevant articles to locate ad...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of cancer Vol. 140; no. 3; pp. 513 - 525
Main Authors Kim, Hong‐Bae, Myung, Seung‐Kwon, Park, Yon Chul, Park, Byoungjin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2017
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Summary:Several observational epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent results on the association between the use of benzodiazepine and the risk of cancer. We investigated the association by using a meta‐analysis. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the bibliographies of relevant articles to locate additional publications in January 2016. Three evaluators independently reviewed and selected eligible studies based on predetermined selection criteria. Of 796 articles meeting our initial criteria, a total of 22 observational epidemiological studies with 18 case‐control studies and 4 cohort studies were included in the final analysis. Benzodiazepine use was significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer (odds ratio [OR] or relative risk [RR] 1.19; 95% confidence interval 1.16–1.21) in a random‐effects meta‐analysis of all studies. Subgroup meta‐analyses by various factors such as study design, type of case‐control study, study region, and methodological quality of study showed consistent findings. Also, a significant dose‐response relationship was observed between the use of benzodiazepine and the risk of cancer (p for trend <0.01). The current meta‐analysis of observational epidemiological studies suggests that benzodiazepine use is associated with an increased risk of cancer. What's new? In recent years, the question of whether sedative‐hypnotic benzodiazepine drugs increase cancer risk has emerged. Evidence for a direct association from animal studies is inconclusive, however, and cohort studies suggest that while some benzodiazepines are associated with increased cancer risk, others are not. The present meta‐analysis of observational studies published between 1982 and 2014 shows that the use of various benzodiazepines, including alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, oxazepam, and temazepam, was consistently associated with an increased risk of cancer, overall and in subgroup analyses. The association was characterized by a dose‐response relationship, with risk elevated for multiple cancer types.
Bibliography:This article was published online on 5 October 2016. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected 12 October 2016.
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ISSN:0020-7136
1097-0215
DOI:10.1002/ijc.30443