The protective role of anti-parkinsonian drugs in pancreatic cancer risk: A comprehensive case-control study in Taiwan

Hsuan-Chia Yang; Wen-Chi Chou; Phung-Anh Nguyen; Nhi Thi Hong Nguyen; Nguyen Thi Phuong; Ching-Huan Wang; Jason C Hsu; Ming-Chin Lin; Chih-Wei Huang

doi:10.1111/cas.16422

The protective role of anti-parkinsonian drugs in pancreatic cancer risk: A comprehensive case-control study in Taiwan

Cancer Sci. 2024 Dec 4. doi: 10.1111/cas.16422. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hsuan-Chia Yang^{1

2

3

4}, Wen-Chi Chou⁵, Phung-Anh Nguyen^{3

6

7

8}, Nhi Thi Hong Nguyen^{9

10}, Nguyen Thi Phuong¹, Ching-Huan Wang¹¹, Jason C Hsu^{3

7

8

12}, Ming-Chin Lin^{1

13

14}, Chih-Wei Huang^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
² International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Research Center of Big Data and Meta-Analysis, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Hematology and Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁶ Graduate Institute of Data Science, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ Clinical Data Center, Office of Data Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ Research Center of Health Care Industry Data Science, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁹ School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Health Personnel Training Institute, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam.
¹¹ Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (BIDS) Section, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹² International Ph.D. Program in Biotech and Healthcare Management, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹³ Department of Neurosurgery, Wang-Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹⁴ Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

PMID: 39629516
DOI: 10.1111/cas.16422

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers, with a grim prognosis despite advances in treatment. We conducted a population-based case-control study from Taiwan, linking Health and Welfare Data Science Center data to the Taiwan Cancer Registry, which offers a promising strategy for its treatment through drug repurposing. The study aims to identify the association of anti-parkinsonian drugs with pancreatic cancer risk across different age groups. The analysis encompassed 18,921 pancreatic cancer cases and 75,684 matched controls, employing conditional logistic regression to assess the impact of anti-parkinsonian drugs on the risk of pancreatic cancer. Key findings revealed a statistically significant association of the administration with specific anti-parkinsonian medications, including anticholinergic agents, tertiary amines, dopa derivatives, and dopamine receptor agonists, with a reduction in pancreatic cancer risk. These associations were represented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs), ranging from 0.620 (95% CI 0.470-0.810) to 0.764 (95% CI 0.655-0.891). Further, age-stratified analysis revealed variations in efficacy across different age groups. Anticholinergic agents and tertiary amines exhibited greater effectiveness in the 40-64-year age group (aOR, 0.653; 95% CI, 0.489-0.872), whereas dopa derivatives and dopamine receptor agonists were particularly efficacious in the cohort aged ≥65 years (aOR, 0.728; 95% CI, 0.624-0.850 and aOR, 0.665; 95% CI, 0.494-0.894, respectively). Notably, specific drugs such as trihexyphenidyl, levodopa/dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI), and pramipexole demonstrated a significant decrease in cancer risk, especially in the elderly population. These preliminary findings can contribute to the possible therapeutic role of anti-parkinsonian drugs in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: anti‐parkinsonian agents; anti‐parkinsonian classes; association; pancreatic cancer; risk.