Asthma, asthma medications, and prostate cancer risk.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess whether a history of asthma or the use of asthma medications is associated with prostate cancer risk.


METHODS
Of 16,934 men participating in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, 1,179 were diagnosed with prostate cancer during an average follow-up of 13.4 years to the end of December 2007. Information on asthma history was obtained at baseline interview. Participants were asked to bring their current medications to the study center. The names of the drugs were entered into a form and coded. Asthma medications were categorized into four groups and corresponding hazard ratios (HR) were estimated from Cox regression models adjusted for country of birth.


RESULTS
Asthma was associated with a small increase in prostate cancer risk [HR 1.25; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.05-1.49]. The HRs for use of medications were 1.39 (95% CI, 1.03-1.88) for inhaled glucocorticoids, 1.71 (95% CI, 1.08-2.69) for systemic glucocorticoids, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.05-1.76) for bronchodilators, and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.45-1.35) for antihistamines. The HRs for asthma and asthma medication use changed only slightly after mutual adjustment.


CONCLUSIONS
A history of asthma and the use of asthma medications, particularly systemic glucocorticoids, are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, although it is difficult to disentangle the effects of asthma medications from those of asthma per se.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings, if confirmed in independent studies, might lead to the identification of new risk factors for prostate cancer.
Severi
Gianluca
G
Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council of Victoria, Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia. Gianluca.Severi@cancervic.org.au
Baglietto
Laura
L
Muller
David C
DC
English
Dallas R
DR
Jenkins
Mark A
MA
Abramson
Michael J
MJ
Douglass
Jo A
JA
Hopper
John L
JL
Giles
Graham G
GG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents