Risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Object Accumulating evidences suggest that the incidence of several cancers is higher in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than in general population. However, the finding on pancreatic cancer risk is inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether SLE patients are at risk for pancreatic cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database to screen the studies meeting our criteria. The hazard ratios (HRs) and its 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated from a meta-analysis. Results Eleven cohort studies were included in the final analysis. Overall, patients with SLE had an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (HR = 1.42, CI = 1.32-1.53). In subgroup analysis, hospital-based (HR = 1.43, CI = 1.32-1.54), retrospective (HR = 1.42, CI = 1.32-1.54), over 10 years followed (HR = 1.44, CI = 1.33-1.55), and low-quality studies (HR = 1.42, CI = 1.31-1.53) remained robust. Significant publication bias was not observed among the studies (p = 0.533). Conclusions The synthesized evidence from our meta-analysis demonstrated that SLE was associated with increased risk for pancreatic cancer. A well-designed, long-period followed study is needed to confirm this association.