The risk of cancer in primary care patients with hypercalcaemia: a cohort study using electronic records
Menée au Royaume-Uni à partir des données issues de dossiers médicaux informatisés, cette étude évalue l'association entre une hypercalcémie et le risque de cancer
Background: The risk of cancer with hypercalcaemia in primary care is unknown. Methods: This was a cohort study using calcium results in patients aged 40 years in a primary care electronic data set. Diagnoses of cancer in the following year were identified. Results: Participants (54 267) had calcium results: 1674 (3%) were 2.6 mmol l−1. Hypercalcaemia was strongly associated with cancer, especially in males: OR 2.92, 95% CI 2.17–3.93, P=<0.001; positive predictive value (PPV) 11.5%; females: OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.39–2.50, P<0.001: PPV 4.1%. Conclusions: Hypercalcaemia is strongly associated with cancer in primary care, with men at most risk, despite hypercalcaemia being more common in women.