The association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC): A nested case-control study.

Abstract

443 Background: Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is implicated in the pathogenesis of both RCC and AMD. To date, there are no data on an association between AMD and RCC. In the present nested case control study, we aimed to evaluated the association between age-related macular degeneration and RCC risk. Methods: We conducted a matched case-control study within a population-representative database from the United Kingdom. Study cases were defined as individuals with any diagnostic code of RCC. For every case, four eligible controls were matched on age, sex, practice site, time, and duration of follow-up. Exposure of interest was diagnosis of AMD prior to cancer diagnosis. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for RCC were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Adjustment was performed for confounders associated with both AMD and RCC such as smoking, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Furthermore, in a secondary analysis, we evaluated the association between other non-VEGF associated retinopathies and RCC, and between AMD and pancreatic cancer, a malignancy characterized by hypovascularity in contrast to the hypervascularity of RCC. Results: The study population included 1,547 patients with RCC and 6,066 matched controls. Median follow-up time was 6 years (IQR 3-9). AMD diagnosis was associated with a significantly increased RCC risk (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.09-3.29). In contrast, there was no association between other retinopathies and RCC risk (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.56-1.15). AMD was associated with a lower risk for pancreatic cancer (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.35-0.64). Conclusions: Patients with AMD may be at higher risk for RCC. Providers should consider screening for RCC within this population.