Population-Based Study on Cancer Incidence in Pharmacist: A Cohort Study in Taiwan

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Occupational Health
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, with research often focusing on healthcare professionals like physicians and nurses.
• Limited studies have explored cancer risks specifically within the pharmacy profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the risk of cancer among pharmacists in Taiwan.
• To compare cancer incidence in pharmacists against a matched general population cohort.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 11,568 pharmacists was established using data from Taiwan's Health and Welfare Data Science Center.
• A comparison group of 46,272 individuals was frequency-matched by age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).
• Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess cancer risk.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists exhibited a non-significant lower overall cancer risk (aHR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.85-1.07) compared to the general population.
• Female pharmacists had a significantly higher cancer risk (aHR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.06-1.43).
• Specific increased risks were observed for female breast cancer (aHR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.35-2.08) and male prostate cancer (aHR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.35-2.08).

Conclusions:

• While overall cancer risk is not elevated, female pharmacists face higher risks for breast cancer and males for prostate cancer.
• The study highlights the need for further investigation into occupational and other risk factors contributing to these specific cancer types in pharmacists.
• These epidemiological findings underscore the importance of targeted cancer surveillance and prevention strategies within the pharmacy profession.