Anemia may increase the overall risk of cancer: Findings from a cohort study with a 12-year follow-up period in South Korea
Menée en Corée à partir de données portant sur 83 886 adultes ayant subi un examen médical en 2002 ou 2003 (durée moyenne de suivi : 11,6 ans), cette étude analyse l'association entre une anémie et le risque de cancer
Background: No previous study has assessed cancer risk in individuals with anemia diagnosed based on hemoglobin levels. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether anemia increases the risk of cancer. Methods: Adult individuals who underwent a standardized medical examination during 2002-2003 in South Korea were included, and their cancer status was evaluated between January 2004 and December 2015 (12 years) as a primary endpoint. Anemia was defined as serum hemoglobin levels of <12 g/dL and <13 g/dL for women and men, respectively. Results: A total of 454,304 adults were included in the final analysis. Among them, 41,947 (9.2%) and 412,357 (90.8%) individuals constituted the anemia and control groups, respectively. After propensity score (PS) matching, a total of 83,886 individuals (41,943 per group) were included in the analysis. Cox regression revealed that the risk of cancer in the anemia group was 3% higher than that in the control group (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.05; P=0.023). Specifically, relative to the control group, the anemia group was at an increased risk of gastric (HR: 1.29), esophageal (HR: 1.37), lung (HR: 1.14), and thyroid cancers (HR: 1.14), neoplasms of breast and genital organs (HR:1.12), and lymphoma or leukemia (HR: 1.63). Conclusion: Anemia was independently associated with an increased overall risk of cancer. Further research is required to clarify the associated mechanism. Impact: Anemia was independently associated with an increased overall risk of cancer in the South Korean population.