Open AccessIncreased risk of cancer in patients with early‐onset cataracts: A nationwide population‐based study
Author(s) -
Chiang Chun Chi,
Lin ChengLi,
Peng ChiaoLing,
Sung FungChang,
Tsai YiYu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.12360
Subject(s) - medicine , cataracts , hazard ratio , poisson regression , cancer , cohort , incidence (geometry) , rate ratio , cohort study , population , cancer registry , proportional hazards model , confidence interval , retrospective cohort study , ophthalmology , physics , environmental health , optics
Early‐onset cataracts are associated with insufficient antioxidative activity, and, therefore, a potential risk of cancer. This study investigated the risk of cancer after being diagnosed with early‐onset cataracts. Retrospective claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed. Study subjects were comprised of patients with early‐onset cataracts, aged 20–55 years (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification [ ICD ‐9‐ CM ] code 366.00, 366.01, 366.02, 366.03, 366.04, 366.09, 366.17 and 366.18) and newly diagnosed between 1997 and 2010 ( n = 1281), and a comparison cohort without the disease ( n = 5124). Both cohorts were followed up until 2010 to estimate the incidences of cancer. We used the Poisson regression model to compare incidence rate ratios and the 95% confidence interval ( CI ). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the hazard ratio ( HR ) of cancer associated with early‐onset cataracts. The overall incidence rate of all cancers was 2.19‐fold higher in the early‐onset cataract cohort than in the comparison cohort (8.06 vs 3.68 per 1000 person‐years) with an adjusted HR of 2.13 (95% CI = 1.48, 3.07). The site‐specific analysis also showed a strong relationship, with adjusted HR of 3.24 ((95% CI = 1.30, 8.10) for head and neck cancer, 3.29 (95% CI 1.16, 9.31) for hepatoma and 3.19 (95% CI 1.34, 7.58) for breast cancer. The present study suggests that patients with early‐onset cataracts are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with cancer in subsequent years.