Incidence of cancer in postmyocardial infarction patients treated with short-acting nifedipine and diltiazem

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Abstract
Recent reports suggest a possible link between nifedipine (but not diltiazem) and an increased risk of cancer in patients being treated with calcium antagonists. A total of 1054 postmyocardial infarction patients were divided randomly into those being treated with calcium antagonists (n = 566 [nifedipine, 425 patients and diltiazem, 141 patients]) and controls (no calcium antagonist; n = 488). The patients were followed for 26.3 months, and the incidences of cardiac events as well as cancer were compared among the 3 groups. Thirteen patients (2.7%) in the control group developed cancer, whereas 15 patients in the nifedipine group (3.5%; odds ratio, 1.34; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.63–2.85) and 3 patients in the diltiazem group (2.1%; odds ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.27–2.93) developed cancer. Diltiazem appears to present no increased risk of cancer. The incidence of cancer was slightly higher in the patients receiving nifedipine than in those not being treated with a calcium antagonist, which is consistent with earlier reports; however, this increase was not statistically significant. Cancer 1999;85:1369–74. © 1999 American Cancer Society.