Antipsychotic Use Associated with Increased Gynecological Cancer Risk: BMC

A recent study published in the BMC Cancer explored the potential link between antipsychotic medication and an increased risk of gynecological cancers. Female gynecological cancers already represent a critical global health issue with approximately 1.4 million new cases and over 6,70,000 deaths annually. However, this study suggests that antipsychotic drugs which were commonly prescribed for psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, may contribute to this statistic.

This comprehensive meta-analysis reviewed studies from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science that explored the correlation between antipsychotic use and the incidence of gynecological cancers. They applied DerSimonian and Laird random-effect models to compute the odds ratios (OR) for cancer incidence by ensuring robust statistical analyses using Review Manager 5.4.1. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed through effect size width and I-squared and Tau-squared statistics with a p-value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant.

The analysis included data from 50,402 patients, of whom 778 (1.54%) had been on antipsychotic medication for at least one year. Within this cohort, there were 1,086 cases (2.15%) of ovarian cancer and 49,316 cases (97.85%) of endometrial cancer.

The key findings from the study were:

The patients on antipsychotic medication showed a statistically significant increased risk of developing gynecological cancers with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.67 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.02 to 2.73 (p-value < 0.05).

Hypertension also correlated with an increased cancer risk (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.13; p-value < 0.01).

Women who had never given birth were at higher risk (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.53 to 2.57; p-value < 0.01).

Also, having multiple births was associated with a lower risk of cancer (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.41 to 0.69; p-value < 0.01).

The outcomes from this meta-analysis indicated a significant association between antipsychotic drug use and an increased risk of gynecological cancers, particularly endometrial cancer. While these medications are pivotal for managing severe psychiatric disorders, the potential cancer risk underlines the need for careful consideration in prescribing practices. Further research and extensive studies are essential to deepen the understanding of this association and to develop strategies to reduce the risks for women who rely on these medications for their mental health.

Source:

de Moraes, F. C. A., Sudo, R. Y. U., Souza, M. E. C., Fernandes, M. R., & dos Santos, N. P. C. (2024). The incidence risk of gynecological cancer by antipsychotic use: a meta-analysis of 50,402 patients. In BMC Cancer (Vol. 24, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-024-12481-6