Antidepressant medication use and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk: no association

Abstract

Animal and human studies have suggested that antidepressant medications may be associated with several cancers. The authors evaluated the association between antidepressant medication use and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using a Canadian population-based case-control study, the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance Study. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases (n=638) diagnosed in 1995-1996 were identified using the Ontario Cancer Registry, and controls (n=1,930) were identified from the Ontario Ministry of Finance Property Assessment Database. Antidepressant medication use was ascertained using a self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios. "Ever" use of antidepressant medications was not associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk. The odds ratio for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with 25 or more months of tricyclic antidepressant medication use was 1.6; however, this was nonsignificant. Duration or history of use or individual types of antidepressant medications were not associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk. These findings do not support an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with antidepressant medication use.