Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 and pancreatic cancer: a retrospective cohort study

To assess whether use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) during lumbar spinal fusion surgery affects subsequent risk of pancreatic cancer.

Using US Medicare claims data, we performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent lumbar spinal fusion surgery between October 2003 and December 2005. The study population, all >66 years, was identified from procedure codes for lumbar fusion. Claims for a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) served as a proxy for rhBMP-2 exposure (another BMP product shared the same code). Pancreatic cancer was identified from claims indicating this diagnosis and cancer-specific therapy. We used Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95%CIs.

Of the 93,654 patients in the study, the mean age was 75 years, and 16.5% had claims for BMP. During a mean 1.4 years of follow-up, 91 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (eight in the BMP- and 83 in the non-BMP cohort). Consistent with previous research, pancreatic cancer was associated with older age, male gender, black race, and diabetes mellitus. Compared to those who did not receive BMP, patients exposed to BMP were not at increased risk of pancreatic cancer (adjusted HR=0.70, 95%CI: 0.34-1.45). A chart review substudy validated the exposure measure; 52/55 patients with claims for BMP received rhBMP-2.

In this large study of elderly patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery, exposure to BMP was not associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.