Risk of ovarian cancer according to use of antidepressants, phenothiazines, and benzodiazepines (United States)

Objectives: An association of increased risk of ovarian cancer with use of antidepressants or benzodiazepine tranquilizers has been reported from a ca se-control study. We assessed the association between ovarian cancer risk a nd the use of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhib itors (SSRIs), phenothiazine antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines, in data f rom the Case-Control Surveillance Study. Methods: From 1976 through 1998, data were collected from hospital patients in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore based on demographic fact ors, reproductive and medical history, and medication use. In the present a nalyses, cases of epithelial ovarian cancer (n = 748) were compared with ca ncer controls (n = 1496) and noncancer controls admitted for trauma and acu te infection (n = 1496). We estimated Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios adjusted for age, study center, and year of interview. Results: Odds ratios for regular use (at least 4 days/week for at least 1 m onth) were compatible with 1.0 for every drug class. For tricyclics and ben zodiazepines the upper 95% confidence limits were less than 1.6. For phenot hiazines the upper limit was 2.6 with cancer controls and 1.4 with noncance r controls. Only five cases used SSRIs, yielding unstable results. Odds rat ios were not increased among women who had used any drug class for at least 5 years, nor among women who had first used them 10 or more years previous ly. Conclusions: These data do not support an association between regular use o f any of the drugs under study with ovarian cancer risk.