title: Cancer-related deaths among different treatment options in chronic coronary artery disease:  results of a 6-year follow-up of the MASS II study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary end points of randomized clinical trials evaluating the outcome of therapeutic strategies for coronary artery disease (CAD) have included nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, the need for further revascularization, and overall mortality. Noncardiac causes of death may distort the interpretation of the long-term effects of coronary revascularization.
  
  
  METHODS
  This post-hoc analysis of the second Medicine, Angioplasty, or Surgery Study evaluates the cause of mortality of patients with multivessel CAD undergoing medical treatment, percutaneous coronary intervention, or surgical myocardial revascularization [coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)] after a 6-year follow-up. Mortality was classified as cardiac and noncardiac death, and the causes of noncardiac death were reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were randomized into CABG and non-CABG groups (percutaneous coronary intervention plus medical treatment). No statistical differences were observed in overall mortality (P=0.824). A significant difference in the distribution of causes of mortality was observed among the CABG and non-CABG groups (P=0.003). In the CABG group, of the 203 randomized patients, the overall number of deaths was 34. Sixteen patients (47.1%) died of cardiac causes and 18 patients (52.9%) died of noncardiac causes. Of these, seven deaths (20.6%) were due to neoplasia. In the non-CABG group, comprising 408 patients, the overall number of deaths was 69. Fifty-three patients (77%) died of cardiac causes and 16 patients (23%) died of noncardiac causes. Only five deaths (7.2%) were due to neoplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different treatment options for multivessel coronary artery disease have similar overall mortality: CABG patients had the lowest incidence of cardiac death, but the highest incidence of noncardiac causes of death, and specifically a higher tendency toward cancer-related deaths.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute (InCor) of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Alexandre C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Eduardo G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Cibele L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Garzillo
authors.forename: Paulo Cury
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: Desiderio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Favarato
authors.forename: Alexandre C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hueb
authors.forename: Bernard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gersh
authors.forename: José A F
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramires
authors.forename: Whady
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hueb
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D002908:Chronic Disease; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome