Antihypertensives and lip cancer

Antihypertensives and lip cancer

Two photosensitizing antihypertensives, hydrochlorothiazide and nifedipine, may increase the risk for lip cancer in non-Hispanic white patients, according to a new study from Kaiser Permanente in California. From a large cohort of patients, 712 were identified with lip cancer along with nearly 23,000 matched controls. At least a 5-year supply of the drug resulted in the following odds ratios for lip cancer (95% confidence intervals) — hydrochlorothiazide 4.22 (2.82-6.31), hydrochlorothiazide-triamterene 2.82 (1.74-4.55), nifedipine 2.50 (1.29-4.84), and lisinopril 1.42 (0.95-2.13). When atenolol was given without other hypertensives, the odds ratio for lip cancer was 0.54 (0.07-4.08). The authors suggest that while antihypertensive therapy outweighs the risk of lip cancer, preventive measures should be taken for those at increased risk because of fair skin and long-term sun exposure (Arch Intern Med published online August 06, 2012).