Cited by 153Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth FactorsPituitary Gland Disorders and TreatmentsMultiple and Secondary Primary Cancers

Cancer risks in patients treated with growth hormone in childhood: the SAGhE European cohort study

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Swerdlow, Anthony J., Cooke, Rosie, Beckers, Dominique, Borgström, Birgit, Butler, Gary, Carel, Jean-Claude, Cianfarani, Stefano, Clayton, Peter +18 more·2017·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Abstract

Context: Growth hormone (GH) is prescribed for an increasing range of indications, but there has been concern that it might raise cancer risk. Published data are limited. Objective: To examine cancer risks in relation to GH treatment. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Population-based. Patients: Cohort of 23,984 patients treated with recombinant human GH (r-hGH) in eight European countries since this treatment was first used in 1984. Cancer expectations from country-specific national population statistics. Main Outcome Measures: Cancer incidence and cancer mortality. Results: Incidence and mortality risks in the cohort were raised for several cancer sites, largely consequent on second primary malignancies in patients given r-hGH after cancer treatment. There was no clear raised risk in patients with growth failure without other major disease. Only for bone and bladder cancers was incidence significantly raised in GH-treated patients without previous cancer. Cancer risk was unrelated to duration or cumulative dose of r-hGH treatment, but for patients treated after previous cancer, cancer mortality risk increased significantly with increasing daily r-hGH dose (P trend < 0.001). Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) incidence increased significantly with longer follow-up (P trend = 0.001 for patients overall and 0.002 for patients without previous cancer). Conclusions: Our results do not generally support a carcinogenic effect of r-hGH, but the unexplained trend in cancer mortality risk in relation to GH dose in patients with previous cancer, and the indication of possible effects on bone cancer, bladder cancer, and HL risks, need further investigation.

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  1. [21]Linet MS Devesa SS Morgan GR The Leukemias Third ed Oxford Oxford University Press 2006
  2. [29]Van Leeuwen FE Travis LB Second Cancers Philadelphia Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2005

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Authors
Swerdlow, A. J., Cooke, R., Beckers, D., Borgström, B., Butler, G., Carel, J.-C., Cianfarani, S., Clayton, P., Coste, J., Deodati, A., Ecosse, E., Gausche, R., Giacomozzi, C., Hokken-Koelega, A. C. S., Khan, A. J., Kiess, W., Kuehni, C. E., Mullis, P.-E., Pfaffle, R., Sävendahl, L., Sommer, G., Thomas, M., Tidblad, A., Tollerfield, S., Van Eycken, L., & Zandwijken, G. R. J.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Cancer Research (GB)
  • UCLouvain (BE)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • National Health Service (GB)
  • Inserm (FR)
  • University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
  • Leipzig University (DE)
  • Azienda Ospedaliera Carlo Poma (IT)
  • Erasmus MC (NL)
  • University of Bern (CH)
  • University Hospital of Bern (CH)
  • University College London (GB)
Venue
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Published
2017-02-10
Volume
102
Issue
5
Pages
1661-1672
ISSN
  • 0021-972X (ISSN-L)
  • 1945-7197
OpenAlex
W2597357044
Cited by
153
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 6
FWCI
14.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Cineca Institutional Research Information System (Tor Vergata University) (submittedVersion)
  • Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Digital Access to Libraries (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
Funders
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • Pfizer
  • University College London
  • European Commission (223497)
  • Cancerfonden
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Vetenskapsrådet
  • Barncancerfonden
  • Institut National Du Cancer
  • Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits de Santé
  • Ipsen
  • Novo Nordisk Pharma
  • FP7 Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Pituitary Gland Disorders and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Multiple and Secondary Primary Cancers
Keywords
recombinant human growth hormone, cancer risk, second primary malignancy, cancer mortality, cancer incidence, Hodgkin's disease, bone cancer, bladder cancer, growth hormone dose
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms, Bone Diseases, Developmental, Bone Neoplasms, Child, Child, Preschool, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Europe, Female, Growth Disorders, Hodgkin Disease, Humans, Hypopituitarism, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Neoplasms, Recombinant Proteins, Risk, Turner Syndrome, Cohort Studies, Incidence, Neoplasms, Second Primary, Human Growth Hormone, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic, Young Adult

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