Cancer risk in stroke survivors followed for up to 10 years in general practices in Germany

Aims

The goal of this study was to analyze cancer risk in stroke survivors followed for up to 10 years in general practices in Germany.

Methods

The current study sample included patients who received an initial stroke diagnosis in one of 1262 general practices in Germany between 2006 and 2015 (index date). Patients without stroke were matched (1:1) to patients with stroke by age, gender, index year, and 16 comorbidities diagnosed in the 12 months prior to the index date using a propensity score method. The main outcome of the study was the risk of cancer as a function of stroke within 10 years of the index date.

Results

The stroke and non-stroke groups included 9579 men and 9089 women. After 10 years of follow-up, 29.3% of men with stroke and 23.8% of those without stroke developed any of the included types of cancer (log-rank p value < 0.001). During the same time, the prevalence of cancer was 25.0% in women with stroke and 20.5% in women without stroke (log-rank p value < 0.001). There was a positive association between stroke and any cancer in men (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.28) and in women (HR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.12–1.34). This association was significant for cancers of respiratory and intrathoracic organs in men and women and for cancers of digestive organs in men.

Conclusions

This study, including more than 37,000 patients from Germany, found that stroke was associated with an increased cancer risk.