Abstract
BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster (HZ) is associated with underlying immunodeficiency and may thereby predict mortality of subsequent cancer.
METHODS: By using Danish nationwide medical databases, we identified all cancer patients with a prior hospital-based HZ diagnosis during 1982-2011 (n=2754) and a matched cancer cohort without prior HZ (n=26 243). We computed adjusted mortality rate ratios (aMRRs) associating prior HZ with mortality following cancer.
RESULTS: Prior HZ was associated with decreased mortality within the year after cancer diagnosis (aMRR 0.87; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81-0.93), but not thereafter (aMRR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.99-1.15). However, prior HZ predicted increased mortality throughout the entire follow-up among patients aged <60 years (aMRR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15-1.68) and those with disseminated HZ (aMRR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.01-1.37). The increased mortality rates were observed primarily for haematological and immune-related cancers.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, HZ was not a predictor of increased mortality following subsequent cancer.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication 16 April 2015. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.136 www.bjcancer.com.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | British Journal of Cancer |
Volume | 112 |
Issue number | 11 |
Pages (from-to) | 1822-1826 |
Number of pages | 5 |
ISSN | 0007-0920 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |