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Table 2 Overview of signals obtained from screening analyses

From: A systematic assessment of the association between frequently prescribed medicines and the risk of common cancers: a series of nested case-control studies

Cancer

Main read codes

Potential site-specific confounders

No. patients

Exposure: any prescription

Exposure: ≥ 6 items (v < 6 items)

Adjusted for comorbidities†

Adjusted for comorbidities† and smoking

Adjusted for comorbidities†

Adjusted for comorbidities† and smoking

No. signals

No. signals

No. signals

No. signals

Cases

Controls

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Breast§

B34

Oophorectomy, hysterectomy

12,269

57,064

16

7

4

15

7

4

43

9

7

53

7

6

Lung

B22

Pneumonia, tuberculosis

9489

41,472

38

26

19

28

14

9

67

22

18

67

14

13

Colorectal

B13

Gallstones, acromegaly

8674

37,935

36

13

7

35

12

3

60

12

12

72

9

8

Prostate§§

B46

Vasectomy, prostatitis, Parkinson’s

7471

32,087

42

11

5

42

6

5

75

15

13

89

9

9

Bladder

B49

Kidney transplant

3229

13,907

61

15

5

70

13

8

89

6

5

110

7

7

Malignant melanoma

B32

Parkinson’s, transplant

2460

11,332

71

8

5

71

3

2

120

3

2

135

0

0

Oesophagus

B10

HPV, achalasia

2402

10,467

76

16

12

81

11

9

126

8

8

146

7

7

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

B60,B62, B6y,

B6z

Helicobacter pylori, transplant, anaemia, coeliac disease, hepatitis B/C, STDs, breast implant

2077

9395

92

17

11

95

9

4

132

7

6

137

3

3

Leukaemia

B64-B69

Anaemia, transplant, neurofibromatosis

1998

8839

81

6

3

88

4

1

131

4

4

143

6

5

Oral (inc. head, neck, nasal)

B0, B20, B550

HPV, transplant

1467

6717

113

14

8

112

9

4

152

5

5

148

5

4

Stomach

B11

Transplant, anaemia, helicobacter pylori, low stomach acid

1433

6192

84

7

4

91

6

3

129

2

2

143

2

2

Ovary§

B44

Endometriosis, hysterectomy, sterilisation

1417

6514

93

8

4

100

5

2

126

5

5

136

1

1

Kidney

B4A

Tuberous sclerosis, hypertension, hysterectomy, kidney stone, polycystic kidney disease

1353

6070

90

9

3

94

3

2

137

5

3

145

3

3

Pancreas

B17

Peptic ulcer, helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B/C, gallstones, metabolic syndrome

1069

4729

105

8

2

104

5

1

144

5

4

156

5

4

Cervix and other gynae§

B454., B450., B41, B441., B420.

HPV, STDs, transplant, intra-uterine device

1039

4844

107

7

3

115

5

1

155

1

1

173

0

0

Uterus§

B40, B43

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, hyperinsulinemia, use of IUD

1010

4700

103

14

10

103

4

3

139

14

10

149

5

5

Larynx

B21

HPV, transplant

741

3321

140

12

6

147

5

3

158

4

4

174

0

0

Brain and CNS

B51,B52

Neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis

732

3396

121

2

1

125

2

1

151

2

1

154

1

0

Myeloma

B63

MGUS, transplant, anaemia,

ankylosing spondylitis

541

2393

137

5

2

142

4

3

142

1

1

157

1

1

Liver

B15

Hepatitis B/C, haemochromatosis, gallstones

528

2334

133

1

0

140

3

0

156

4

3

148

1

1

Thyroid

B53

Acromegaly

341

1614

172

5

2

174

10

6

139

2

2

140

1

1

Anal

B14

HPV, transplant, anal fissures, STDs

279

1258

149

3

2

167

3

3

143

2

2

151

2

2

  1. Abbreviations: HPV human papilloma virus, STDs sexually transmitted diseases, MGUS monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, IUD intra-uterine device, Step 1 odds ratio ≥ 1.25 or ≤ 0.80, Step 2 p value ≤ 0.01, Step 3 evidence of an exposure-response relationship, CNS cental nervous system
  2. †Comorbidities include diabetes, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, dementia, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoporosis, rheumatological disease, renal disease, liver disease, irritable bowel disease, human immunodeficiency viruses and hemiplegia/paraplegia, plus potential site-specific confounders
  3. §Analyses restricted to females only
  4. §§Analyses restricted to males only