Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2003 May;14(4):327-34.
doi: 10.1023/a:1023982402137.

A meta-analysis of asthma and risk of lung cancer (United States)

Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis of asthma and risk of lung cancer (United States)

Alfredo A Santillan et al. Cancer Causes Control. 2003 May.

Abstract

Objective: To review epidemiologic evidence that asthma is a risk factor for lung cancer, with particular attention to the role of smoking on this association.

Methods: Through MEDLINE computer searches (January 1966 to April 2002) and a review of references, we identified studies with quantitative data on the relation of asthma to lung cancer. Summary estimates of relative risks (RR) were calculated using the fixed-effects model or the random-effects model as appropriate.

Results: The combined results from five case-control studies--that presented data limited to individuals who had never smoked--showed a 1.8-fold increase in lung cancer risk among asthmatics (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3-2.3). The results from six case-control and four cohort studies, which controlled for smoking history also were significant (RR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.3-2.2). Finally, to illustrate the potential confounding by tobacco, we combined data from seven cohort studies that did not control for smoking history and found an overall RR of 1.4 (95% CI = 1.2-1.6).

Conclusions: The increased risk of lung cancer among never smoking individuals with asthma supports a direct relation between asthma and lung cancer. There is biological evidence to support this association.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

Publication types