title: Association between incident cancer and subsequent stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A study was undertaken to examine the association between incident cancer and the subsequent risk of stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database, we identified patients with a new primary diagnosis of breast, colorectal, lung, pancreatic, or prostate cancer from 2001 through 2007. These patients were individually matched by age, sex, race, registry, and medical comorbidities to a group of Medicare enrollees without cancer, and each pair was followed through 2009. Validated diagnosis codes were used to identify a primary outcome of stroke. Cumulative incidence rates were calculated using competing risk survival statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 327,389 pairs of cancer patients and matched controls, the 3-month cumulative incidence of stroke was generally higher in patients with cancer. Cumulative incidence rates were 5.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.9-5.2%) in patients with lung cancer compared to 1.2% (95% CI = 1.2-1.3%) in controls (p < 0.001), 3.4% (95% CI = 3.1-3.6%) in patients with pancreatic cancer compared to 1.3% (95% CI = 1.1-1.5%) in controls (p < 0.001), 3.3% (95% CI = 3.2-3.4%) in patients with colorectal cancer compared to 1.3% (95% CI = 1.2-1.4%) in controls (p < 0.001), 1.5% (95% CI = 1.4-1.6%) in patients with breast cancer compared to 1.1% (95% CI = 1.0-1.2%) in controls (p < 0.001), and 1.2% (95% CI = 1.1-1.3%) in patients with prostate cancer compared to 1.1% (95% CI = 1.0-1.2%) in controls (p = 0.085). Excess risks attenuated over time and were generally no longer present beyond 1 year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incident cancer is associated with an increased short-term risk of stroke. This risk appears highest with lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY; Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY; Departments of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Babak B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Navi
authors.forename: Anne S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iadecola
authors.forename: Mitchell S V
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Elkind
authors.forename: Katherine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Panageas
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: DeAngelis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology