Meta-Analysis

Relationship between antidepressive agents and incidence risk of breast cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis

Rui Li‡

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7167-5756

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Key Laboratory of Evidence-Based Medicine & Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China

‡Rui Li and Xiuxia Li are co-first author

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Xiuxia Li‡

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0210-9793

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Key Laboratory of Evidence-Based Medicine & Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China

‡Rui Li and Xiuxia Li are co-first author

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Peijing Yan

Institution of Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Medicine, Gansu Province People's Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Zhitong Bing

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Key Laboratory of Evidence-Based Medicine & Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Liujiao Cao

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Key Laboratory of Evidence-Based Medicine & Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Xu Hui

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Jing Li

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Xingrong Liu

*Author for correspondence:

E-mail Address: liuxingrong2019@163.com

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Kehu Yang

**Author for correspondence:

E-mail Address: kehuyangebm2006@126.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7864-3012

Evidence-Based Social Science Research Center, School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Key Laboratory of Evidence-Based Medicine & Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Institution of Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Medicine, Gansu Province People's Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China

Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

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Published Online:5 Feb 2021https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2020-0822

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Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to review the association between antidepressive agent (AD) use and the incidence risk of breast cancer. Methods: CBM, WOS, Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Library were systematically searched in July 2019. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed through the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: We included 19 studies from six countries or regions with relationships between breast cancer and ADs. Subgroup analysis showed no significant association in nested case–control or case–control studies; however, cohort studies revealed a significant association (odds ratio = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04–1.17). Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicates that breast cancer was not associated with the use of ADs when considering all types of studies, but an association was observed if we considered cohort studies.

Lay abstract

We completed a systematic review of the evidence on the relationship between the use of antidepressants and the incidence risk of breast cancer. We included 19 studies for analysis, and the analysis showed that breast cancer was not related to the use of antidepressants. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct further well-designed research to understand the relationship between them.

Keywords:

Papers of special note have been highlighted as: •• of considerable interest

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Vol. 17, No. 9

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History

Received 12 August 2020

Accepted 4 November 2020

Published online 5 February 2021

Published in print March 2021

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Keywords

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities: Evidence Based Social Science Research (grant no. 2019jbkyjc002, lzujbky-2019-ct02 and lzujbky-2020-kb20). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

This article does not include studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

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