Mm. Doody et al., RISKS OF NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA, MULTIPLE-MYELOMA, AND LEUKEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH COMMON MEDICATIONS, Epidemiology, 7(2), 1996, pp. 131-139
We utilized data from two Kaiser Permanente medical care programs to e
valuate risks of hematopoietic and lymphoproliferative (HLP) malignanc
ies after use of 14 common medications. The subjects were adult cases
of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (N = 94), multiple myeloma (N = 159),
and leukemia (N = 257) and individually matched controls (N = 695). Ab
stractors reviewed medical records and recorded med ication notations.
Using a minimum 5-year exposure lag be tween first notation and malig
nancy diagnosis, the risk of NHL was greater among plan members who we
re prescribed amphet amines [odds ratio (OR) = 2.2; 95% confidence int
erval (CI) = 1.1-4.8], lidocaine (OR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.2-5.5), and mep
robamate (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.03-4.3). The risk of NHL rose with incr
easing number of medical record notations for amphetamines; however, t
here was no association with number of notations for lidocaine or mepr
obamate. The odds ratio for total leukemia was decreased among patient
s who took chloramphenicol (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.2-0.97).