Association between Use of Hydrochlorothiazide and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer: Common Data Model Cohort Study in Asian Population

Abstract

Although hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) has been suggested to increase skin cancer risk in white Westerners, there is scant evidence for the same in Asians. We analyzed the association between the use of hydrochlorothiazide and non-melanoma in the Asian population using the common data model. Methods: A retrospective multicenter observational study was conducted using a distributed research network to analyze the effect of HCTZ on skin cancer from 2004 to 2018. We performed Cox regression to evaluate the effects by comparing the use of HCTZ with other antihypertensive drugs. All analyses were re-evaluated using matched data using the propensity score matching (PSM). Then, the overall effects were evaluated by combining results with the meta-analysis. Results: Positive associations were observed in the use of HCTZ with high cumulative dose for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in univariate analysis prior to the use of PSM. Some negative associations were observed in the use of low and medium cumulative doses. Conclusion: Although many findings in our study were inconclusive, there was a non-significant association of a dose-response pattern with estimates increasing in cumulative dose of HCTZ. In particular, a trend with a non-significant positive association was observed with the high cumulative dose of HCTZ.