No increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with steroids, estrogens and psychotropics (Netherlands).
OBJECTIVE
Earlier studies with data on drug use from interview suggested that corticosteroids, estrogens and psychotropics may increase the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The objective of this case-control study with complete pharmacy records was to investigate whether these results could be reproduced.


METHODS
Cases were all subjects aged 20 years and older in a population of approximately 300,000 residents in the Netherlands who were registered with an incident primary discharge diagnosis of NHL between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 1998. Controls were matched to cases on sex, year of birth, community pharmacy, calendar period and total duration of medication history. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between categories of cumulative drug use in days and the risk of NHL.


RESULTS
997 controls were matched to 251 cases of NHL that occurred during the study period. In multivariate analyses, there was no statistically significant risk increase of NHL after exposure to corticosteroids, estrogens or psychotropics. Moreover, long-term use of benzodiazepines showed an unexpected statistically significant protective effect (OR 0.34; 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.64).


CONCLUSIONS
In our population-based study, corticosteroids, estrogens and psychotropics were not associated with an increased risk of NHL.
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Annette B
AB
Beiderbeck
Elizabeth A
EA
Holly
Miriam C J M
MC
Sturkenboom
Jan W
JW
Coebergh
Bruno H Ch
BH
Stricker
Hubert G M
HG
Leufkens
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004967:Estrogens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D004967:Estrogens; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs