Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33793038›Full record

ArticleCancer science2021

Risk of cancer in long-term levothyroxine users: Retrospective population-based study.

Chieh-Chen Wu, Md Mohaimenul Islam, Phung-Anh Nguyen, Tahmina Nasrin Poly, Ching-Huan Wang, Usman Iqbal, Yu-Chuan Jack Li, Hsuan-Chia Yang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  15. Network-based drug repurposing for HPV-associated cervical cancer.Computational and structural biotechnology journal · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Chieh-Chen WuGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Md Mohaimenul IslamGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Phung-Anh NguyenInternational Center for Health Information Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7436-9041
Tahmina Nasrin PolyGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ching-Huan WangGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7449-4838
Usman IqbalMaster Program in Global Health and Development, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yu-Chuan Jack LiGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hsuan-Chia YangGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9198-0697

Funding

Ministry of Education MOE 109-6604-001-400Ministry of Science and Technology MOST 109-2222-E-038-002-MY2Taipei Medical University TMU107-AE1-B18
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Levothyroxine is a widely prescribed medication for the treatment of an underactive thyroid. The relationship between levothyroxine use and cancer risk is largely underdetermined. To investigate the magnitude of the possible association between levothyroxine use and cancer risk, this retrospective case-control study was conducted using Taiwan's Health and Welfare Data Science Center database. Cases were defined as all patients who were aged ≥20 years and had a first-time diagnosis for cancer at any site for the period between 2001 and 2011. Multivariable conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) to reduce potential confounding factors. A total of 601 733 cases and 2 406 932 controls were included in the current study. Levothyroxine users showed a 50% higher risk of cancer at any site (AOR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.46-1.54; P < .0001) compared with non-users. Significant increased risks were also observed for brain cancer (AOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.48-2.44; P < .0001), skin cancer (AOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.17-1.72; P < .0001), pancreatic cancer (AOR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01-1.60; P = .03), and female breast cancer (AOR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.15-1.33; P < .0001). Our study results showed that levothyroxine use was significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer, particularly brain, skin, pancreatic, and female breast cancers. Levothyroxine remains a highly effective therapy for hypothyroidism; therefore, physicians should carefully consider levothyroxine therapy and monitor patients' condition to avoid negative outcomes. Additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate the potential biological mechanisms.

Indexed as

AgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansHypothyroidismLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsRetrospective StudiesTaiwanThyroxineThyroxineassociation researchcancer riskcase-control studylevothyroxinelong-term drug use

Identifiers

PMID33793038
PMCPMC8177794

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.