Antihypertensive drug use and the risk of ovarian cancer death among Finnish ovarian cancer patients: a nationwide cohort study

Abstract

<p>Ovarian cancer (OC) has a poor prognosis. Hypertension may be a prognostic factor for OC, but it is unclear whether antihypertensive (anti-HT) drug use of modifies OC prognosis. We performed a population-based analysis assessing the effect of anti-HT drug use on OC mortality. A cohort of 12,122 women identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry with OC in 1995–2013 was combined with information on their anti-HT drug use during the same time period. Use of each anti-HT drug was analysed as a time-dependent variable. Analyses were run for five, ten and full follow-up (19-year) mortality with cardiovascular morbidity risk evaluated in competing risk analysis. No anti-HT drug group was associated with OC survival within five years after OC diagnosis. At ten years, a dose-dependent association was observed between pre-diagnostic ACE-inhibitor use and improved OC survival. With full follow-up, post-diagnostic high-intensity use associated with reduced OC death risk for multiple anti-HT drug groups. In competing risk analysis, only the post-diagnostic use of ACE-inhibitors associated with increased OC survival. Anti-HT drugs were not associated with survival benefits within five years after OC diagnosis. ACE-inhibitors may confer survival benefits in women with OC, but further confirmatory studies are needed.</p>