Analgesic use and the risk of renal cell carcinoma - Findings from the Consortium for the Investigation of Renal Malignancies (CONFIRM) study.

PURPOSE: The incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rising. Use of analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol may affect renal function. The aim of this study was to assess associations between analgesic use and risk of RCC. METHODS: A population-based case-control family design was used. Cases were recruited via two Australian state cancer registries. Controls were siblings or partners of cases. Analgesic use was captured by self-completed questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for RCC risk associated with regular analgesic use (at least 5 times per month for 6 months or more) and duration and frequency of use. RESULTS: The analysis included 1064 cases and 724 controls. Regular use of paracetamol was associated with an increased risk of RCC (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.13-1.77). Regular use of NSAIDs was associated with increased risk of RCC for women (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.23-2.39) but not men (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.58-1.18; p-interaction=0.003). There was no evidence of a dose-response for duration of use of paracetamol (linear trend p = 0.77) and weak evidence for non- aspirin NSAID use by women (linear trend p = 0.054). CONCLUSION: This study found that regular use of paracetamol was associated with increased risk of RCC. NSAID use was associated with increased risk only for women.

The risk of preterm birth following treatment for precancerous changes in the cervix: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the association between treatment for precancerous changes in the cervix and risk of preterm birth have used a variety of comparison groups. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether treatment for precancerous changes in the cervix is associated with preterm birth (<37 weeks) and to examine the impact of the type of comparison group on estimates of risk. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL were searched for studies pubished between 1950 and 2009. SELECTION CRITERIA: Eligible studies were those that reported preterm birth outcomes for excisional and ablative treatments separately and included a comparison group. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Pooled relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals were computed using a random effects model. MAIN RESULTS: Thirty eligible studies were located. Excisional treatment was associated with an increased odds of preterm birth, when compared with an external (RR 2.19, 95% CI 1.93-2.49) or internal (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.46-2.64) comparison group. In comparison with women who were assessed but not treated, the risk estimate was smaller (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.98-1.58). Ablative treatment was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth when an external comparison group (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.24-1.74) but not an internal comparison group (RR 1.24, 95% CI 0.73-2.10) or untreated comparison group (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.90-1.18) was used. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Excisional treatment was associated with a significantly increased risk of preterm birth. It provides new evidence that some types of ablative treatment may also be associated with a small increased risk. The type of comparison group used is an important consideration when comparing the outcomes of studies.