Antidepressants and gastric cancer: A nationwide population-based nested case-control study

Abstract

Background To our knowledge, no epidemiological study has reported on whether an association between antidepressant exposure and gastric cancer exists. Herein, we aim to investigate the possible association between antidepressant exposure and gastric cancer incidence. Methods Using a nested case-control design, we identified 26289 cases with gastric cancer and 127984 controls from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). The data were analyzed using a conditional logistic regression model adjusting for possible confounding variables. Results We found antidepressant use did not increase the risk of gastric cancer. The lack of an association between antidepressant prescription and elevated gastric cancer incidence was apparent for across selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic agents (TCAs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A (RIMA), trazodone, mirtazapine and bupropion. There were slightly decreased gastric cancer risks of SSRIs use (≥28 DDD group, adjusted OR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.78-0.96). Sensitive analysis showed SSRIs, TCAs, and SNRIs did not increase gastric cancer risks significantly even in the group with peptic ulcer history. Conclusions An association between antidepressant exposure and gastric cancer was not apparent in this analysis.