Study found clear link between non-hodgkin’s lymphoma risk and use of antibiotics

Widespread antibiotic use in the 20th century saved untold lives. But now it appears there may be a high price to pay.

A new study, recently published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, set out to look for an association between non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and the use of common medications. Cases of NHL are on the rise, especially in the U.S. where it’s most frequently diagnosed in older people. About four percent of cancer deaths are attributable to NHL.

Researchers in Sweden recruited more than 6,000 subjects in Sweden and Denmark; about half were NHL patients. When the subjects’ lifetime medication use was examined, researchers found a clear link between NHL risk and the use of antibiotics more than 10 times during adulthood.

In addition, regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen) was “marginally associated” with a higher risk of NHL.

The study has an important caveat: Researchers can’t conclude that antibiotic or NSAID use may actually cause NHL; it’s possible that a patient’s unique susceptibility to infections or inflammation (prompting antibiotic and NSAIDs use) might be the root cause. Nevertheless, most of the medications examined were not associated with NHL risk.

Sources:
“Medication Use and Risk of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma” American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 162, No. 10, September 2005, aje.oxfordjournals.org