PPIs Don’t Increase Risk for Colorectal Cancer

Hypergastrinemia is a possible risk factor for colorectal cancer. In two large case-control studies, researchers examined the association of long-term proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and colorectal cancer risk.

In a U.K. study on data from the General Practice Research Database, 4432 patients (age, ≥50) with incident colorectal cancer diagnosed from 1987 to 2002 were matched to 44,292 controls. Results were adjusted for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. The odds ratio for colorectal cancer after ≥5 years of PPI use was 1.1 (95% CI, 0.7–1.9). Among high-dose PPI users (≥1.5 average doses daily), risk increased with longer duration of use, but the trend was not significant (P=0.2). Pernicious anemia did not increase risk (OR, 0.9; 95% C…