Abstract
Purpose :
During a prior investigation of intraocular pressure (IOP), our group observed an association between lower IOP and a history of any type of cancer diagnosis. That investigation suggested the need for further study to help understand this potential relationship.
Methods :
Subjects were collected from the primary eye care service of an inner-city, academic eye care center in Chicago, IL, USA. For purposes of this study, an existing dataset collected during regularly scheduled visits (2011 to 2020) of patients who consented to a survey was supplemented by chart reviews of additional patients with any type cancer diagnosis noted in their electronic medical record. All subjects had Goldmann applanation tonometry and comprehensive eye exam to ascertain eye health status. Exclusion criteria included: 1) <18 years of age; 2) use of IOP-lowering medication; 3) history of ocular surgery that could significantly affect IOP such as cataract, refractive, or glaucoma surgery; and 4) any condition or injury that could affect IOP. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between IOP and a history of cancer.
Results :
There were 4,561 total subjects (82.8% African American, 66.4% female), and 375 (8.2%) with a history any site cancer. The predominant cancers were breast (40.6%, n=151), prostate (15.5%, n=58), colon (8.6%, n=33), uterine (corpus/cervix, 5.9%, n=22), and lung (5.7%, n=21). Mean IOP was 14.91 +/- 3.14 mm Hg among cancer subjects and 15.29 +/- 3.35 mm Hg among non-cancer subjects (unadjusted, P=0.03). Controlling for numerous factors, including age, race, gender, refractive error, diabetes, and hypertension, people with a cancer history had an IOP that was 0.42 +/- 0.18 mm Hg lower on average (P=0.019) compared to people without any cancer history. Subgroup analyses for the two most prevalent cancers, breast and prostate, showed similar IOP effect ranges for each group but statistical significance was marginal (P=0.05, P=0.16) due to sample size.
Conclusions :
There may be a small but measurable relationship between IOP and having a history of cancer. Although small, IOP magnitude may be comparable to other variables commonly adjusted for in research investigations. Further investigation of cancer history and cancer subgroups is warranted to understand whether selection biases or other factors may explain these observations.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.