title: Mortality in cancer patients previously diagnosed with herpes zoster in the hospital setting: a nationwide cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with underlying immunodeficiency and may thereby predict mortality of subsequent cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  By using Danish nationwide medical databases, we identified all cancer patients with a prior hospital-based HZ diagnosis during 1982-2011 (n=2754) and a matched cancer cohort without prior HZ (n=26 243). We computed adjusted mortality rate ratios (aMRRs) associating prior HZ with mortality following cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prior HZ was associated with decreased mortality within the year after cancer diagnosis (aMRR 0.87; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81-0.93), but not thereafter (aMRR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.99-1.15). However, prior HZ predicted increased mortality throughout the entire follow-up among patients aged <60 years (aMRR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15-1.68) and those with disseminated HZ (aMRR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.01-1.37). The increased mortality rates were observed primarily for haematological and immune-related cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, HZ was not a predictor of increased mortality following subsequent cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark.
authors.forename: S A J
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horváth-Puhó
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen Ø 2100, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Obel
authors.affiliation: California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 475 Brannan Street, Suite 220, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark [2] Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 10, Aalborg 9000, Denmark.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schønheyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark.
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology