title: Sulphonylureas and cancer: a case-control study.
abstract: This study was aimed at the assessment of incidence of malignancies in type 2 diabetic patients treated with different sulphonylureas. A matched case-control study was performed. Cases were 195 diabetic patients aged 69.0 +/- 9.2 years who had an incident malignancy. Controls were 195 diabetic patients, unaffected by cancer, who were matched with the corresponding case for age, sex, duration of diabetes, BMI, HbA1(c), comorbidity, smoking and alcohol abuse. Exposure to hypoglycaemic drugs during the 10 years preceding the event (or matching index date) was assessed. After adjusting for concomitant therapies, exposure to metformin and gliclazide for more than 36 months was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of cancer (adj. ORs with 95% CI: 0.28 (0.13-0.57), p < 0.001, and 0.40 (0.21-0.57), p = 0.004, respectively). Conversely, use of glibenclamide for at least 36 months was associated with increased incidence of malignancies (adj. OR 2.62 (1.26-5.42); p = 0.009). Treatment with insulin, thiazolidinediones, or acarbose, was not associated with significant differences in the incidence of cancer. Long-term treatments with individual sulphonylureas could have differential effects on the risk of cancer. In particular, the possible protective effect of gliclazide, as well as the risk associated with glibenclamide, deserves further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Florence and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Via delle Oblate 4, 50134, Florence, Italy. mmonami@libero.it
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monami
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamanna
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Balzi
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marchionni
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mannucci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005907:Gliclazide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005905:Glyburide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds; D008687:Metformin; D005907:Gliclazide; D005905:Glyburide