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The influence of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and corticosteroids on the association between rheumatoid arthritis and skin cancer: a nationwide retrospective case-control study in Taiwan

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

  1. Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital; and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  2. Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  3. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  4. Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  5. Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei; Department of Physical Therapy, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  6. Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. shirley@imst.nsysu.edu.tw

CER10597
2018 Vol.36, N°3
PI 0471, PF 0478
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PMID: 29303707 [PubMed]

Received: 23/05/2017
Accepted : 10/10/2017
In Press: 15/12/2017
Published: 17/05/2018

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the influence of corticosteroids and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs, including conventional synthetic and biologic DMARDs) treatment on the association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).
METHODS:
This nationwide retrospective case-control study retrieved data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database during 1995-2013. Cases with newly-diagnosed NMSC (n=19,603) were matched with control without NMSC in a 1:1 ratio according to age, sex, and reference date. The aforementioned association was analysed using conditional logistic regression and adjustments for age, sex, residential regions, occupations, and co-morbidities. Causality cannot be inferred by case-control study.
RESULTS:
Compared to patients without RA, the patients with RA had a significantly higher association with NMSC (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-3.1, p<0.001), especially those using cyclosporine (AOR=5.7, 95%CI 2.2-14.86; ≥65 years: AOR=7.28, 95%CI 2.16-24.56), etanercept (AOR=5.27, 95%CI 1.15-24.27; ≥65 years: AOR=8.95, 95%CI 1.12-71.85), and d-penicillamine (AOR=4.79, 95%CI 1.63-14.12; ≥65 years: AOR=3.81, 95%CI 1.26-11.52); those using higher cumulative doses of corticosteroids and methotrexate (corticosteroids: >10g: AOR=2.96, 95%CI 1.67-5.22; >10g and ≥65years: AOR=3.5, 95%CI 1.77-6.92; methotrexate: 1-3g: AOR=2.57, 95%CI 1.13-5.82; >3g: AOR=4.64, 95%CI 1.74-12.4; >3g and ≥65 years: AOR=10.17, 95%CI 2.34-44.26); and those using more kinds of DMARDs (any 3: AOR=3.72, 95%CI 1.67-8.26; any 5: AOR=2.81, 95%CI 1.13-7.04; any 6: AOR=5.23, 95%CI 1.14-24.14; 7-8: AOR=4.06, 95%CI 1.14-14.49).
CONCLUSIONS:
The patients with RA had significantly increased associations with NMSC, especially those receiving cyclosporine, etanercept, and d-penicillamine; higher cumulative doses of corticosteroids and methotrexate; or more kinds of DMARDs in combination or in sequence. The aforementioned associations were much stronger in the elderly.

Rheumatology Article