Prior medical conditions and medication use and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Connecticut United States women.

OBJECTIVE

To further investigate the role of prior medical conditions and medication use in the etiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), we analyzed the data from a population-based case-control study of NHL in Connecticut women.

METHODS

A total of 601 histologically confirmed incident cases of NHL and 717 population-based controls were included in this study. In-person interviews were administered using standardized, structured questionnaires to collect information on medical conditions and medication use.

RESULTS

An increased risk was found among women who had a history of autoimmune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, and multiple sclerosis), anemia, eczema, or psoriasis. An increased risk was also observed among women who had used steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and tranquilizers. A reduced risk was found for women who had scarlet fever or who had used estrogen replacement therapy, aspirin, medications for non-insulin dependent diabetes, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Risk associated with past medical history appeared to vary based on NHL subtypes, but the results were based on small number of exposed subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

A relationship between certain prior medical conditions and medication use and risk of NHL was observed in this study. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.