{"title":"Does CPAP increase or protect against cancer risk in OSA: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Narat Srivali, Federica De Giacomi","doi":"10.1007/s11325-025-03345-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, and systemic inflammation, all of which may influence cancer development. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the primary treatment for OSA, yet its impact on cancer risk remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between CPAP therapy and the incidence of newly diagnosed cancer in patients with OSA.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From inception to March 2025, a comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases, and reference lists was conducted. Observational studies assessing the risk of new cancer diagnoses in OSA patients treated with CPAP compared to non-CPAP users were included. Data extraction and quality assessment followed PRISMA guidelines, and meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three cohort studies from France, Spain, and Canada, including 72,498 participants, met the inclusion criteria. CPAP compliance varied, defined as > 4 h/night in two studies, while one study lacked specific usage criteria. Cancer diagnoses were ascertained via national registries, hospital databases, or electronic medical records. Meta-analysis revealed a pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.60-1.09), suggesting a potential reduction in cancer risk among CPAP users. Sensitivity analysis reduced heterogeneity (I² = 0%) and revised the HR to 0.93 (95% CI: 0.81-1.08).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CPAP therapy does not appear to increase cancer risk in OSA patients, but the evidence is limited and inconclusive. Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to confirm these observations and explore underlying mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":21862,"journal":{"name":"Sleep and Breathing","volume":"29 2","pages":"175"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Sleep and Breathing","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-025-03345-9","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, and systemic inflammation, all of which may influence cancer development. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the primary treatment for OSA, yet its impact on cancer risk remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between CPAP therapy and the incidence of newly diagnosed cancer in patients with OSA.
Methods: From inception to March 2025, a comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases, and reference lists was conducted. Observational studies assessing the risk of new cancer diagnoses in OSA patients treated with CPAP compared to non-CPAP users were included. Data extraction and quality assessment followed PRISMA guidelines, and meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model.
Results: Three cohort studies from France, Spain, and Canada, including 72,498 participants, met the inclusion criteria. CPAP compliance varied, defined as > 4 h/night in two studies, while one study lacked specific usage criteria. Cancer diagnoses were ascertained via national registries, hospital databases, or electronic medical records. Meta-analysis revealed a pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.60-1.09), suggesting a potential reduction in cancer risk among CPAP users. Sensitivity analysis reduced heterogeneity (I² = 0%) and revised the HR to 0.93 (95% CI: 0.81-1.08).
Conclusions: CPAP therapy does not appear to increase cancer risk in OSA patients, but the evidence is limited and inconclusive. Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to confirm these observations and explore underlying mechanisms.
期刊介绍:
The journal Sleep and Breathing aims to reflect the state of the art in the international science and practice of sleep medicine. The journal is based on the recognition that management of sleep disorders requires a multi-disciplinary approach and diverse perspectives. The initial focus of Sleep and Breathing is on timely and original studies that collect, intervene, or otherwise inform all clinicians and scientists in medicine, dentistry and oral surgery, otolaryngology, and epidemiology on the management of the upper airway during sleep.
Furthermore, Sleep and Breathing endeavors to bring readers cutting edge information about all evolving aspects of common sleep disorders or disruptions, such as insomnia and shift work. The journal includes not only patient studies, but also studies that emphasize the principles of physiology and pathophysiology or illustrate potentially novel approaches to diagnosis and treatment. In addition, the journal features articles that describe patient-oriented and cost-benefit health outcomes research. Thus, with peer review by an international Editorial Board and prompt English-language publication, Sleep and Breathing provides rapid dissemination of clinical and clinically related scientific information. But it also does more: it is dedicated to making the most important developments in sleep disordered breathing easily accessible to clinicians who are treating sleep apnea by presenting well-chosen, well-written, and highly organized information that is useful for patient care.