Medications and Cancer
Project
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Medications can affect cancer risk, for example several studies have shown that hormone preparations affect the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The purpose of the project is to study the relationship between medication use and the risk of developing various types of cancer, as well as prognosis after cancer diagnosis.
Summary
The project is based on a large registry linkage between the Cancer Registry of Norway, the Norwegian Prescription Database and Statistics Norway, in addition to population based health examinations, for all males and females born in Norway between 1925 and 1986. The study population is followed from 2004, when the Norwegian Prescription Database was established, up until today. One of the strengths of the project is therefore that we can study medication use in detail over time.
Background
Menopausal hormone therapy has been an important part of the project so far, and the associations with risk of breast cancer, melanoma and colorectal cancer have been studied in an older version of the data linkage. We plan to repeat these studies in the updated linkage, in addition to study the association with other cancer forms, for instance ovarian. Also other medications such as anti-hypertensives, metformin and statins are of interest in addition to other types of cancers, for instance lung and endometrial cancer.
Some medications increase the risk of cancer, others can be protective and some may also improve cancer prognosis. It has for instance been shown that beta blockers may increase breast cancer survival. The idea that safe and well-tested medications can be used in secondary prevention and cancer treatment is intriguing. We will therefore also study associations between a variety of medications and survival after cancer diagnosis.
About the project
Project leader: Edoardo Botteri
Project group:
- Statistician: Nathalie Støer, CRN
- Research assistent: Margrethe Meo, CRN
- Researcher: Giske Ursin, CRN
- Researcher: Solveig Hofvind, CRN
- Researcher: Siri Vangen, National Advisory Unit for Women´s Health
- Researcher: Sidsel Graff-Iversen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Researcher: Solveig Sakshaug, Norwegian Institute of Public Health